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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24398551">No One Mourns The Wicked</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/WillowLindsayFics/pseuds/Willow'>Willow (WillowLindsayFics)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Broadway RPF, Once Upon a Time (TV), Wicked - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Adoption, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Real World, Family, Gen, No One Mourns the Wicked, POV Alternating, POV Third Person, Storybrooke, Wicked Witch of the West - Freeform, daughter - Freeform, lost daughter, wicked tie in, zelena's daughter - Freeform</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 03:54:57</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>36,048</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24398551</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/WillowLindsayFics/pseuds/Willow</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When Zelena gave birth and the baby died, Regina, distraught, sent her far away. Sixteen years later, she is shocked to learn that Zelena had been carrying twins and despite everything, the second girl survived. Raised in a travelling European Circus "Starlight Euphoria", Morrighan Westen is an aerialist and contortionist who can speak five languages and write in seven with a budding West End carrier. The only thing wrong with her life is her mother's strange illness, that is, until her birth father and stepmother gained custody of her and relocated her to a small town in Maine known as Storybrook, squandering the hopes she had for her future and the distractions they brought with them. Regina is desperately trying to connect with Morrighan in hopes that she will warm up to Robin whom she will not speak a word to, while Morrighan is suddenly dealing with the realities of public school, bullying, and the unrelenting hatred the town has for her mother.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Robin Hood</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>The baby's coming</b>
</p><p>
  <b>And how! </b>
</p><p>
  <b>I see a nose</b>
</p><p>
  <b>I see a curl </b>
</p><p>
  <b>It's a healthy, perfect</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Lovely, little </b>
</p><p>
  <b>Sweet Oz! </b>
</p><p>
  <b>What is it? what's wrong?</b>
</p><p>
  <em>-Wicked</em>
</p><p>Regina and Robin waited in the blue chairs at the Storybrooke hospital maternity ward. It felt like hours were passing by in every minute.</p><p>"It'll be alright," Regina said to Robin, rubbing his arms. "Soon we'll have a little healthy baby and everything ill be perfect."</p><p>"I just feel bad about all of it," he muttered.</p><p>"Zelena would never make a good mother," Regina reassured him. "We're doing the right thing for the child."</p><p>"I know but—"</p><p>"Maybe she'll finally see what she's been doing wrong," Regina said. "I changed a lot for Henry. Maybe Zelena will finally decide she needs to do better."</p><p>Robin nodded. "It doesn't make this any easier."</p><p>"It never does," she said, kissing his cheek.</p><p>A doctor came out and they both stood up.</p><p>"It's not going well," he told them.</p><p>"Why not?" Robin asked.</p><p>The doctor just shook his head. "These things can be complicated."</p><p>"But everything will be fine?"</p><p>"Right now, we see no reason that the mother and child won't both survived."</p><p>They both sighed, leaning into each other as the doctor continued: "I'll let you know if there any changes."</p><p>Robin pulled Regina into a hug and buried his face in her shoulder. Regina wrapped her arms around him and ran a hand through his hair.</p><p>"Everything will be alright," she told him. "It will all work out in the end, it always does."</p><p>"You're starting to sound like Snow," he chuckled.</p><p>"Optimism is depressingly contagious."</p><p>They pulled away and Robin stroked her face. "I love you," he said, "so very much. I am so excited to start a family together."</p><p>She looked away. "I just wish I could give it to you everything you wanted."</p><p>"Regina..." he started, "you are giving me everything."</p><p>"No, I'm not. I can't."</p><p>"Regina, stop it. We are about to get everything we wanted, and then we'll be happy. Today is a happy day."</p><p>She sighed. "You're right." She took his hands in hers and brought them to her lips.</p><p>He smiled and sat down, pulling her into his lap. She nestled up to him and kissed his cheek and giggled as he kissed hers. Today, they couldn't be happier. It was the start of a new life.</p><p>Roland and Henry were just as excited for a younger sibling. They were currently with the Charmings, who were planning some party once the child was born.</p><p>"You know, we could just send Zelena away," Regina started.</p><p>"I thought we talked about this. She should be involved, even if not at first. Once she's proved she can be a good mother."</p><p>"I was just thinking it might be kinder if she was gone, didn't remember anything. She could start a new life somewhere far away, never bother us again."</p><p>"That's not fair for the child."</p><p>"The child would never know."</p><p>"But we would know, Regina. I don't want to start this with a lie."</p><p>Regina nodded. "Okay, you're right." She pushed her hair behind her ears. "I just don't want her around; able to mess things up."</p><p>"I get that, but I don't want to lie to our child. I want him or her to know their mother, as long as it's safe, of course, but—"</p><p>"I get it, Robin," Regina said, "I'm just not sure I like it."</p><p>"I don't either, but it's the right thing to do. You have to trust me on this."</p><p>"I do, I trust you with everything."</p><p>"Okay," replied Robin. "okay, now let's just sit here." He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. "I love you Regina and I always will." He pressed a kiss to her forehead.</p><p>Sometime later, a doctor came to collect them. "It's time," he said, "the baby's coming."</p><p>They followed him into the birthing room.</p><p>"I don't want them here," a tiered Zelena muttered, gasping for air. Her face was red, and she was covered in beaded sweat.</p><p>The couple stood back against the wall, giving the doctors room as the baby came. Zelena was struggling, her breathing sharp and jagged too exhausted to scream. The only noise she made was desperate grunts.</p><p>"I see a head, you're doing well Zelena." Some more doctors crowded around her.</p><p>Regina and Robin held hands, waiting for the wail of a child. They saw the doctors rush around Zelena and handle something the size of a shield under the sheets. The room went quiet as Zelena let out a sigh of relief.</p><p>'Can... can I... see..." she muttered, in a daze.</p><p>The doctors were still.</p><p>"The baby is dead," someone declared.</p><p>"No," Zelena whispered, a shaking hand raising to her mouth as she stifled a wail that wasn't even there.</p><p>Regina's heart dropped. She pulled robin close to her and buried her face in his neck. Zelena's wails grew.</p><p>"Maybe it would be kind to send her away," Robin whispered into her ear. "So she doesn't remember."</p><p>Regina nodded. There was no point keeping her locked up in an asylum. She would be no danger to them if she could never come back, or even remember she hated them. Pulling Robin closer with one hand, she used all the magic she could muster to send Zelena off somewhere far away, but somewhere she would be safe. It was more than she deserved. But maybe, just maybe, she would make something good of her new life.</p><p>"We can always adopt," Robin said, "as you did with Henry." He kissed her neck and held her tightly.</p><p>"We can," Regina agreed.</p><p>But they did not. And across the sea, Zelena gave birth to another daughter no one had known about and decided to raise the girl on her own. She called her Morrighan. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>"The most celebrated, are the rehabilitated"</b>
</p><p>-Wicked: The Musical</p><p>
  <em>~16 years later~</em>
</p><p>It was New Year's Day. Regina and Robin had passed out on the couch after the countdown. They were grandchildren sprawled out on foam mattresses on the floor, as well as nieces and nephews and everyone in between. The guest bedrooms were full.</p><p>Regina woke up in the early hours of the morning to the chirping of the birds. Robin had his arms securely around her waist, holding her to him. She smiled and leaned back and closed her eyes.</p><p>A few minutes later, she wormed her way off of the couch and danced between the sleeping children. It was seven in the morning. She went up to her room and slipped in quietly, pulling some comfortable clothes out of the wardrobe before slipping back out and into the washroom. She changed, then went back down to the kitchen.</p><p>Regina pulled out an old recipe and began baking a large breakfast. Robin and Mary-Margaret soon joined her, and they worked in amused silence, whispering to each other and teasing with the flour. The rest of the house awoke to the smell of cinnamon rolls and apple-turn overs. Everyone was fed and leftovers were packed into tupperwares and sent home. Regina and Robin sat back down on their couch arm in arm and sighed with a smile on their faces. They'd built a life together.</p><p>Robin picked up the TV remote. "Want to watch something," he asked her, "or just sit here."</p><p>She gazed into his eyes. She could see the wrinkles that were appearing around them and greying in his hair, but she could still see the Robin she knew when they first met in his deep brown eyes.</p><p>"Whatever you want," she said, snuggling close to him. She smiled.</p><p>He pressed the power button and the screen hummed to life. They flipped through the channels until they found a daytime talk show they both enjoyed. A young girl with dark auburn hair in a reverse ombre was wearing a stunning purple dress and singing into a microphone. Neither of them knew the song as it faded to commercials. When the show came back, she was sitting poised in a chair.</p><p>"So," the host began, "you're sixteen."</p><p>"Yes," she replied with a delightful smile.</p><p>"And involved in a very high-profile secret project?"</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>"And you can't say anything about it?'</p><p>"Right."</p><p>"Not even a hint?"</p><p>The girl shook her head. "No, absolutely not. I want to, honestly, I aching to talk about it. It's a project that is so dear to my heart and I've spent over a year working on it. It's something that I was very invested in and I spent a lot of time fighting with the directors and the producers because it's a work that very dear to my heart and I did not want it to get lost in adaptation. I feel like this kind of thing almost never succeeds and I wanted to make sure that the heart wasn't lost because it doesn't matter how fateful you are to the original work if you lose the heart of it. Also, the characters are very grand and big, and it was really hard finding a balance that still felt honest to the character, but that wasn't so grand that it made them feel like characters or cartoons. I wish I could elaborate, but I think I've already said too much." She chuckled.</p><p>"So, does this, <em>secret project</em> have anything to do with your current theatre career? Or are they unrelated."</p><p>The girl got a mischievous smile on her face. "Yes," she said after a few seconds, slowly and intentionally.</p><p>The host laughed. "Yes to...."</p><p>"Yes," the girl replied again, folding her hand in her lap. "If we are being completely honest, if you asked me if I got the role because I was human, I could not confirm or deny my status as a living, breathing person. Now, I'd hope that you'd be smart enough to figure out, but if you frame the question like that I could not confirm my existence."</p><p>"Now your mom has posted a little hint to her Instagram."</p><p>The girl chuckled again, but this time there was an undertone of a real laugh. "I am not responsible for anything she did on 'bring your parents to set day'. Absolutely nothing." She waved her hands is a big X-cut motion as she said "nothing".</p><p>"Well, let's take a look-see and see if we can guess what you've been working on."</p><p>The screen faded to back and a dimly lit figure was standing in a mirror.</p><p>"There," a light turned on, "Is that better?" A familiar voice asked. Zelena was looking into a small bathroom mirror, holding a phone.</p><p>"I'm worried," she said, "Morgan's been acting strange, and tired. And if you haven't noticed, she dyed her hair. But what I'm most concerned about is this." She lowered the phone ot the sink where there was a facecloth covered in green make-up. The sink had some green streaks on it. "I'm so worried," Zelena continued in a fake concerned voice, "is she alien hunting, or just plain sick?" She flipped it back to her face. "What are they feeding the kids here?"</p><p>Then the video went black.</p><p>"I would like to propose," the host announced in boisterous tone, "that—"</p><p>The girl cut him off shouting: "That's all from THE MONDAY SHOW LIVE, SEE YOU NEXT WEEK!" and threw herself in front of the camera. The credits rolled on the screen as the camera zoomed out, showing her going around and talking and hugging the producers and talking to the studio audience.</p><p>Regina looked at Robin. His face held the same lost feeling that was starting to rise in her chest. This wasn't right. Something here was wrong. Very wrong. The child had died, had it not? They had a funeral. There was a grave. One they visited every year, and sometimes on special days. If she had been fifteen, there might have been a case, but the host had said she was sixteen.</p><p>"We will figure this out," she told Robin. They could go to Emma, ask for her help, or Mr. Gold. Or figure it out themselves. It did not matter, as long as they figured it out.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>"No one controls your destiny. Even at the very worst - there is always choice."</b>
</p><p>
  <em>― Gregory Maguire, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West</em>
</p><p>Regina and Robin were staring at the letter. They could not tell if they should just throw it away, but they knew they needed to open it. They were holding hands, knuckles white. They had spent months in a legal battle. It quickly became apparent Zelena had not been a fit parent. So, it had been over in months. This letter was the end. The verdict.</p><p>The girl had been living in a flat in LA for a year with two other teenagers. She had recently and moved to New York thinking that she could make it on Broadway. Before that, she had lived in a travelling circus in Europe. She needed a stable life. And a real job. They could give it to her, even if it were just until she turned 18. And she was taking a gap year because of some contracts she was in. They had been able to get her out of all but one. But it was mostly over. It was to do press for a movie, the "secret project" no one knew anything about that they had heard about on the talk show. She would have to go to press meetings whenever they finally decided to announce the movie and give a release date. But there was nothing saying that would be happening anytime soon.</p><p>They read the letter in tandem. In two months, Robin's daughter, Morrighan Westen, would come to live with them for the next eight months until her 18th birthday. After that, there was not much they could do. But they could encourage her to get a real job. They had two months to get everything ready. The two months' time had something to do with the movie contract. And she was using that time to work on some small show no one knew about.</p><p>It was over so fast. Almost too fast. She was coming here. They had expected more of a fight, if they were being honest. But they were glad it was over.</p><p>They had, admittedly, interfered with her getting Broadway role, but a flying monkey in Oz was not much of a career. It was a named part though, Christey or something like that. And it probably had more to do with her circus background than anything else.</p><p>"Two months," Robin said to her.</p><p>She smiled: "Two months."</p><hr/><p>
  <em>~Two months later~</em>
</p><p>Morrighan was arriving today. They had gotten a room ready for her. It was painted a lilac purple and was empty save for cedar wood floating bookshelves, a twin bed, and sone desks and nightstands. There was also a pale teal oblong rug in the middle of the room.</p><p>The Hoods had spoken twice over the internet with Morrighan as they had not been allowed to contact her during the custody battle.</p><p>Regina's phone pinged. "She's on her way," she told Robin.</p><p>In a few hours, a car pulled into the driveway. Regina and Robin rushed outside but stopped at the door. The people got out. Morrighan from the passenger seat. The top of her head was bright with red hair that slowly became a dark brown to the tips. The two others went to the back and pulled her suitcases out of the trunk.</p><p>"I'm gonna miss you guys," she said, bear-hugging them. She lingered with the man, who lifted her from her feet. "Knock 'em dead, Yero my hero." She muttered. No seemed to have noticed the Hoods standing in the door.</p><p>"Morgan, we're going to miss you too." The girl took Morrighan's face in her hands. "I'm going to call you <em>every</em> morning. And before every show. Eight times a week. And you are going to sing the good-luck song or I'm gonna fall thirty feet out of the bubble and die and it will <em>all</em> be your fault." They giggled. "I love you," the girl said, hugging her again. "And I'm postponing my wedding for you, so you <em>have</em> to sing me the good-luck song."</p><p>Morrighan kissed them both on the cheek and waited for them to get back into the car before turning towards the front door. She had a backpack, a subcase, and a large solid case.</p><p>"Hi," she said as she approached, looking down.</p><p>"Hi," Regina and Robin both said. What did you say?</p><p>Regina extended a hand and Morrighan shook it. She had a solid handshake.</p><p>"Will you come in?" Robin asked, opening the door and stepping back.</p><p>She nodded and took a step inside. Regina side-eyed Robin. He was staring at his daughter. Of course he was. She was too. This stranger was about to become the center of their lives and they had no idea who she was. She was looking around at the large room and stairwell. Must have been a far cry from wherever she was used to in New York or travelling across Europe.</p><p>"Your room is upstairs," Robin said, "I'll show you."</p><p>She smiled quietly and followed Robin up the stairs. Regina trailed behind them. Robin showed her to the empty room.</p><p>"It's a bit bear but you can do what you want with it."</p><p>"Why don't you settle in," Regina suggested, "We'll go make a snack." She gave Robin a stern look. <em>Give her space</em>, it said. She would come around.</p><p>They went back downstairs. They could hear her walking around the room. She was light on her feet, but the floorboards were old.</p><p>There was a knock on the door. Robin went to open it and Mary-Margaret burst in. "Is she here yet?" She whisper-yelled.</p><p>"I tried to stop her," Emma said, shaking her head. "But you know mom..."</p><p>"Yes," Regina replied quietly, "so be quiet. No smothering. We want to give her some space."</p><p>"She can have space later," Mary-Margaret said, "We should show her the town. And-"</p><p>"Mom," Emma said, "I'm fairly sure she'll want to see the town. Just not right now."</p><p>"Okay." Mary-Margaret took a breath and sat down. "This is all so exciting."</p><p>"Yes," Robin said, though he did not sound that excited. "We need to be careful though. Regina briefed the town at the last meeting, but we cannot afford to mess this up. Like it or not, she has a bit of a public platform. She could ruin this town. And no one likes Zelena."</p><p>"They'll like her." Mary-Margaret almost sounded offended. "I bet, once they get to know her. She seems very sweet."</p><p>"Um, excuse me?" A voice came from the stairwell. Morrighan was there, looking down on them in black leggings and a long blue and green plaid shirt. "I was wondering if I may have a glass of water."</p><p>Regina was quick to get her one and bring it up.</p><p>"Thank you," she said with a sweet smile.</p><p>"How are you," Regina said before she could disappear. "I should have asked sooner but—"</p><p>"I'm fine," she said with a convincing smile.</p><p>"If you want anything, or need anything, or—"</p><p>"I know where to find you."</p><p>"Yes, that," Regina said. She wanted to give her a hug. It was not her fault, but they were not at hugging yet. She did not even know where they were.</p><p>"Those were your friends who dropped you off?" She asked.</p><p>Morrighan's lips flashed in a small sad smile. "Yes," she said, "they insisted on driving me."</p><p>"How did you meet?" Regina asked.</p><p>She shrugged. Now that she was standing in front of her, Regina noticed that she had a very solid and athletic build.</p><p>"How is the room coming along?" The girl gestured for Regina to go inside.</p><p>She'd transformed the room. The table had been moved closer to the window and now had a sewing machine on it. A dress form stood in the corner with a white gown on it. Upon closer look, Regina noticed that the underskirt was actually made of a pearl-white fabric while the rest was white enough to pass the tissue test. On the small bedside table, there was a collection of photographs. On the white circular coffee table, she had a green binder stacked on top of a book entitled <em>Wicked: The Gimmerie</em>. On top of the binder was the book <em>Wicked</em> by Gregory Maguire and a Funko Pop character of the wicked witch of the west.</p><p>Regina walked over to it. The box seemed a bit off. Henry had a lot when he was younger, and the grandchildren had quite a few as well. She turned the box around. Someone had written on the back "Go Elphie! Hope you like this custom of my favourite character that I made (it's the Act 2 dress btw). Best wishes Morgan, hope you make a thousand shows!! XX Felicity".</p><p>"It's nice," Regina said. She did not know what to say. She was shocked, but at the same time, they couldn't know anything. Zelena would not remember. She would have no idea. Morrighan would have no idea. She probably just liked the play or the book or something. It meant nothing. </p><p>There was a picture on the small table as well. Regina picked it up after placing the box down. It was Morrighan, she looked about ten, and someone Regina did now know. They were both smiling at the camera.</p><p>"It's Lindsay Mendez," Morrighan said.</p><p>"Oh, okay." Regina had no idea who that was. "This everything you brought?"</p><p>"I have some posters and a few other things, but most of my stuff is in Heidelberg. I find that you always need less than you think."</p><p>She walked back over to her bed where her clothes were out in neat piles and pulled a few posters out of her suitcase. Regina could hear people coming up the stairs.</p><p>"That's a beautiful dress!" Mary-Margaret exclaimed when she saw the dress on the form. "What's it for?"</p><p>"I'm making it for a friend," Morrighan explained. "Please don't touch it," she added after a minute.</p><p>"The embroidery on this is exquisite. Who taught you?"</p><p>"My mom," she said, "and costume design. And lots of practice."</p><p>Everyone but Mary-Margaret was still clustered close to the door.</p><p>"I'm so glad to meet you," Mary-Margaret continued. She hugged Morrighan. "Sorry if I'm too forward."</p><p>"It's okay," Morrighan said quietly. "Who are you?" She asked after a minute.</p><p>"Oh, right, I'm Mary-Margaret." She extended a hand. "We're related."</p><p>Morrighan shook it a bit awkwardly.</p><p>Mary-Margaret brought Emma forwards. "This is Emma."</p><p>"Hi," Emma said, "I'm sorry, I tried to get to her to stay home."</p><p>"It's fine," Morrighan repeated. She then walked over to her bed and took the posters.</p><p>"Want some help?" Robin asked. There was no reply.</p><p>She pulled the chair up and Started to tape a poster in place. It was a large one, taken outside a building. There was a group of around thirty people in costumes standing by a pillar with a green witch on it. It was covered in writing and signatures. A bright pink note read "Because I knew you, I have been changed for good." It was not signed, but there was a heart under it.</p><p>Mary-Margaret went over to hold it for her.</p><p>"Where did you get this?" she asked.</p><p>"It was a gift," she replied.</p><p>"From where?"</p><p>"The Gershwin, where I worked."</p><p>"What's the Gershwin?"</p><p>Morrighan's face contracted in surprise. "<em>Ernsthaft</em>? Seriously, it's <em>the</em> Gershwin." She looked around. No one else knew what she was talking about.</p><p>"I've never heard of it. What did you do there?'</p><p>"The usual. Signing, dancing, defying gravity. Eight shows a week every week." There was something about the way she said <em>defying gravity</em>. Like she was trying to clue them in on something. "Anyways, I'm a Shiz Alumni now I guess." She jumps down from the chair to take a step back to see how it looks, thanking Mary-Margaret on the way down.</p><p>"Is Shiz some kind of elite club?"</p><p>"I guess you could think of it that way."</p><p>"So, you were doing shows in a club?" She sounded genuinely concerned.</p><p>"What? Gods! No, where are you getting that idea?" Morrighan was appalled and took a few steps back.</p><p>Emma pulled up her phone. "The Gershwin is a theatre."</p><p>"Yes," agreed Morrighan.</p><p>"Oh," said Mary-Margaret. "You should have said something."</p><p>"I thought it was implied." She went back to her bed and took out a few more posters and pictures which she started to hang around the poster.</p><p>"Where are you in it?" Regina asked.</p><p>"Bottom right. Can't miss me, I have no clue what is happening." In the bottom right, there was a girl dressed in green make-up holding a broom, talking to a masked monkey. They were both completely oblivious.</p><p>"Oh, I see it!" Mary-Margaret said. They'd told her about the monkey role. "What's the Shiz club?"</p><p>"Everyone who leaves the productions gets a name plaque in the stairwell. They're called Shiz Alumni."</p><p>"What was your favourite part?" Mary-Margaret pressed.</p><p>"I quite enjoyed running on stage after the opening. And the stunts. Fight call, flying, all that stuff. Lots of fun. And the rest of the cast was amazing." She was looking forlornly at the poster.</p><p>"We'll leave you now," Regina said, pushing everyone out of the room.</p><p>"Regina, are you sure she was playing a monkey?"</p><p>"She said so herself."</p><p>"It's just her face is structurally similar to the poster in the poster."</p><p>Regina shrugged. "I went through all the contracts. I'm pretty sure there was a Christey role or something like that. There's a monkey called that in the play."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>"I've heard it said</b>
</p><p>
  <b>That people come into our lives for a reason</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Bringing something we must learn"</b>
</p><p>
  <em>~ For Good, Wicked: The Musical</em>
</p><p>Morrighan sat on the bed after she had finished putting up the posters. Honestly, she did not want to look at them. But she could not bear to hide them away somewhere. She could not believe that no one knew about the Gershwin. It did not make any sense. Everyone knew about the Gershwin.</p><p>It had been a few days. She spent them all up here in her room. She went out for runs in the morning, and in the afternoon, and in the evening. She did not talk much. She had not opened her phone or answered when Country called, every day before the show. Everyone knew about the Gershwin. This town seemed a bit out of touch with modern culture, but that still seemed a bit extreme.</p><p>Regina should have known at least. Regina had read all the documents, cut all the contracts, made all the negotiations. Regina got her here and said she had to get a "real job" (like eight shows a week was not a real job!) and seemed to have everything under control. She looked over at her alarm clock. The red letter told her that she had been sitting there for the better part of an hour.</p><p>She got up and walked over the carpet. It was nice, but it was not staying. She rolled it up and stuffed into the walk-in closet. Somehow, the closest felt like it was the size of the Volkswagen camper her and Lorcan shared when they travelled with the circus. They had only gotten it a few years ago when both their parents decided this would be the best time to have more children and They both had gotten their licenses. It made the few clothes she had brought seem even smaller.</p><p>Morrighan had not bothered with anything that was not civil and normal. Costumes and projects and such she sent back to her mom's house in Heidelberg. She hoped her mom was alright.</p><p>She opened her phone and opened Instagram. She started a live stream. "When they told me, I was gonna be on Broadway," she started, "this was not what I imagined." She joked, showing a quick pan around her room. "Anyways," she laid down on her bed, "I want to apologize to anyone who bought tickets to see me and won't be any longer, but I promise the Jinny is sweet and amazing and she's got a phenomenal singing voice. You will be in for an amazing show. I am just going to go over some things. I will not be getting a PO box. I do not want people finding me here and getting mad at people and stuff. You can still send me things to the PO box in Heidelberg, my mom's putting it all in my room and anything sent to the New York address with be forwarded there as well. I am doing well. I'm alive. A lot of people want to know how I got in. Pretty much this guy knew about the secret project and was pitching me to my mom and the circus without knowing it, and when they did find out my mom send me the texts, which I forwarded to my agent because they were funny. And she sent them to George, who thought that he had a really good idea and somehow it eventually turned into the three of us doing Broadway and three months later we started on Broadway. I can't really say more than that because I'm not allowed to talk about but that's the blow-by-blow of what went down." She chuckled. "Anyways, I'm bored. Ask me questions, I don't know."</p><hr/><p>Regina was bringing up some snacks when she heard Morrighan talking. She stopped just short of the door to listen.</p><p>"So, IloveEplie465 wants me to do a drunk recap of Wicked. I am not old enough to drink, but I can do a silly recap. So basically the room is dark, and then dun dun dun the music starts and the dragon moves and these monkeys fly in from everywhere causing chaos and they lift the map and then Glinda swoops in her bubble while everyone is singing because they've been terrorized and Glinda is telling them that everything will be okay and that need to rejoicify. And there's a big party and everyone is asking Glinda questions about the witch and then someone asks if they used to be friends and then the music rushes and this is the part where I run onto the stage in my beanie and glasses and everyone is cheering and I'm happy and Elphie's happy. Then my dad comes and he's all like 'Elphie care for Nessa I love Nessie and not you' and no one else likes Elphie 'cause she's green and Glinda comes in on this mountain of suitcases after like a seven-second change which is amazing. Madame Morrible sticks us into the same room and we do not like this, and they try to take my younger sister away from so I get mad and her wheelchair goes crazy. Then the teacher is all like 'Elphie you are amazing you will meet the wizard one day' and I get my first of three solos for act one..."</p><p>She sang a few bars, getting more excited. She was jumping on her knees on the bed, excited as she recounts with dramatics the plot of the musical. "And then we get to my first duet where I'm all like <em>'Loathing, unadulterated loathing'</em> and then we go to class and there's a commotion and then Fiyero arrives and we go to the Ozdust and everyone laughs at me but I don't care and I dance and then Galinda and I dance together and then everyone dances. And then Galinda gets her solo. Then they take my favourite teacher away and try to torture a lion and I get mad again and Fiyero and I go to save the wolf. Wolf? No, it is a lion. Anyways our hand touch and I get me second solo of act one..."</p><p>Regina was starting to star that she might have been wrong about the monkey thing. She was fairly sure a monkey did not get solos. But where would she have messed that up? It did not make any sense. Regina knew she should not be listening in, but she did not want to go back downstairs in case Morrighan overheard her.</p><p>"And we sing the last duet and I always have to fight back tears because it's beautiful, and then we close the curtain and stage magic happens and I melt and Glinda is sad and stuff happens, then Fiyero comes and it was a ruse and we can never let anyone know that we are alive. And we leave. And then it's curtain call and I hug Glinda and bow and then bow with the entire cast and then we leave and the degreenifying begins."</p><p>Regina was breathing heavily. She really messed this up. But how?</p><p>"Okay, I've been laying on my stomach too long. Bye guys."</p><p>Regina counted a few seconds before she knocked on the ajar door. Morrighan was quick to open it.</p><p>"I was, um, wondering if you wanted a snack or um, we could go out to eat, the three of us," she stammered.</p><p>Morrighan shrugged.</p><p>"I also, I wanted to say..." she trailed off, her eyes flickering over to the poster. There was a resemblance between her face and the one on the pillar. Why hadn't she seen it before?</p><p>"Yes," Morrighan said impatiently.</p><p>"I thought you were the monkey."</p><p>"Pardon me?"</p><p>"The monkey. Christey. I thought you were the monkey in the play."</p><p>"Chistery"</p><p>"Yeah, Chistery."</p><p>"Why on earth would think I was Chistery?"</p><p>"I um, I don't know. I guess I was reading the paperwork wrong or—"</p><p>"Looking for a reason to validate your actions?"</p><p>"Yes, that, I guess. And we— I want to apologize. I know I said some condescending things about your theatre work and, um, I should have had all the information straight. But I would like to ask, why didn't you say anything?"</p><p>They moved apart slightly, and Morrighan let Regina in.</p><p>"Honestly, I thought you knew. Everyone knew. I was sixteen and on Broadway and not playing a sixteen-year-old. And there is still no explanation why for the public. People have been training for longer than I've been alive to get into this play. Everyone knew."</p><p>Regina looked at the poster again. All of a sudden, she could see it. "What about that thing you said about being far away from having your foot in the door?"</p><p>"Because I was already in the room?"</p><p>"Fair point, but you still could have said something."</p><p>"I honestly thought you knew. Seriously, I mean who doesn't?"</p><p>"Okay, so I made a mistake," Regina said, "but does it really matter? I wouldn't have changed anything."</p><p>"I guess so," she said, "but I would have liked to make something work." She sat down on her bed.</p><p>"There was no way you could live between here and New York," Regina said, "and look." She sat down beside her. "I know you want to do this for the rest of your life, but you need to consider other options."</p><p>"That why I was going to go to university. I just wanted to take a gap year, not kill someone." She huffed and laid down, staring up at the ceiling, hair dangling over the other side. "That's why the circus doesn't let you back without a university or college degree. So you get some time outside. I got more than most. And there's no law against taking a gap year."</p><p>"No, there's not," Regina sighed. She laid down on the bed beside her. She turned her head to look at Morrighan. "We are trying."</p><p>"I am too," she turned to look away.</p><p>"Okay," Regina said, looking up at the ceiling Okay. "Do you want to go out for supper?"</p><p>"Do I have a choice?"</p><p>"You always have a choice."</p><p>"That's a lie."</p><p>"It's... No," Regina decided, "you do not. Come on, we are going for supper. We will go to Granny's and you can be in a bad mood there."</p><p>"Alright, fine." She rolled off the foot of the bed. "Up, let's go." She grabbed her satchel from the hanger behind her door and left her slippers by the wall.</p><p>"Great," Regina got up with an explosion of energy. "You'll like Granny's."</p><p>"Do they have gluten-free food?" She asked as they walked down the stairs.</p><p>"I don't know," Regina said as they reached the landing. "Robin, we're going to Granny's."</p><p>Robin came out from the living room where he had been working at the table. He smiled at Morrighan who was not looking in his direction. Regina was beginning to get the sense that she might be ignoring him, but she said nothing as the left for the diner.</p><p>This would be interesting. Morrighan would go for runs around the park. Robin had gone once but had been quickly outpaced. She hasn't been interreacting with people in Storybrooke. She hoped they would not hold Zelena against her, but it was a loose cannon. Maybe, at least, she would make a good impression on Granny and get a job there.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>"It is such an uncomfortable feeling to know one is a fool."</b>
</p><p>
  <em>― L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz</em>
</p><p>They walked to Granny's. Morrighan walked in front of them, disinterested. Robin held Regina's hand, a small smile on his face. He did know what he had expected, but things were not going as wrong as he feared they could be. </p><p>They made it Granny's. It was fairly busy, both outside and in. When they entered, they saw why. The jukebox had been removed in favour of a makeshift stage, It was Karaoke night. </p><p>Regina nudged Morrighan. "Wanna try?"</p><p>"No," she replied.</p><p>"I'd bet you'd give a killer performance."</p><p>"No," she reiterated. "I haven't done any warm-ups, and besides, Karaoke is for those who can't sing to have their moments. Trust me, no one wants me signing."</p><p>Regina chuckled. She had been at enough of these to know that Morrighan's sentiment was not shared by Gideon, Mr. Gold and Belle's son. "I think you'll find that's not the case here," she said. </p><p>Morrighan shrugged. "I still haven't warmed up. I'm not damaging my vocal chord for your amusement."</p><p>Ruby stepped in. "Hi, where may I seat you?"</p><p>"Anywhere," Robin said.</p><p>They got seated in a booth near the middle of the row. They got handed menus. Morrighan opened hers up quickly and started scanning it. A few people were looking at them; at Morrighan more accurately. She did not seem to notice, or she was good at pretending not too.</p><p>Ruby came back to take their orders. Both Robin and Regina opted for hamburgers while  Morrighan ordered a salad, dairy-free. People started singing. Regina and Robin were sitting facing the stage, but Morrighan sat on the edge of the bench to watch. She smiled and applauded in between bites.</p><p>When they were done, they did not leave. However, they did stand up to free the bench for newcomers. It was getting crowded inside the tiny restaurant and the door was soon wedged open to try and expand the space into the front patio.</p><p>Morrighan was standing near a group of girls around her age, including Alexandra, Cinderella's daughter. She wasn't talking with them, but she did seem semi-engaged in whatever they were talking about.</p><p>Mr. Gold and Belle came in.</p><p>Regina went over to greet them, hugging Belle. Gideon walked right over to the group of girls. Regina watched intently. Alexandra practically jumped on him. She moved a bit closer to overhear as Gideon brushed them off and went over to Morrighan.</p><p>"Hi," he said.</p><p>"Hi." She waved back ambivalently. </p><p>"So you're a new face," he continued.</p><p>"Yep." She sounded disinterested.</p><p>"Gonna go up an sing? I bet you got a pretty voice. I normally steal the show, so you might want to get up there before I do."</p><p>Was he flirting with her?</p><p>"Nah, I'm good."</p><p>Regina was pretty sure she could take care of herself though. Morrighan had been acting passive since she came to Storybrooke, but Regina had a gut feeling there was a strong character down there. There had to be. Morrighan was related to herself of course. And Zelena. </p><p>"Besides," Morrighan continued. "I haven't warmed up at all, and I'm used to being the show-stopper. I'd hate to deprive you of your coveted title."</p><p>A few "oohs" rose from around them. Morrighan still had her shy girl look about her. But there was a confidence behind it, something saying 'yeah so what, I'll ignore you if I want, what are you going to do about it?' Regina suddenly realized just how tall Morrighan was. She never made it feel like she was tall, but Morrighan had her mother's height. Maybe she was even a bit taller. Robin was tall. She was very close to his hight.</p><p>"Maybe we can warm up together and I'll see if I can change your mind."</p><p>Morrighan shrugged. "Maybe if you tell me your name, stranger." She raised an eyebrow.</p><p>"Gideon." He bowed. "I like your accent, by the way."</p><p>"Oh," it had slipped out without her noticing. "Yeah, English isn't my first language and my mom is British, so hence: accent!" She made jazz hands as she said "accent".</p><p>Gideon chuckled and offered her his hand. "I get the feeling you've had some classical training, am I wrong."</p><p>"No."</p><p>"Maybe we can teach each other a few things, then see who can bring the house down."</p><p>"All right, fine, I'll bite," she said.</p><p>"Make sure it's not more than you can chew," cautioned Gideon.</p><p>"I'm not worried," she replied, "you need to make sure I'm not more than you can chew." </p><p>She took his hand and he led her outside where it was less crowded. Morrighan took out her phone and played some piano scales as they both shared their vocal warm-ups.</p><p>"It seems we may have a mutual goal," Mr. Gold said form behind Regina.</p><p>"What do you want?" she asked.</p><p>"Well, it looks like Gideon is taking an interest in young Morgan over there. I want to make sure he doesn't get hurt."</p><p>Regina rolled her eyes. "And what's my interest?"</p><p>"You want your niece to stay in Storybrooke. Right now, she doesn't have a reason too."</p><p>"No," Regina said,</p><p>"No to what?'</p><p>"Whatever schemes you have planned."</p><p>"I don't have any schemes in mind. I was just pointing out that you might not want to push her away from Gideon. And I need some extra help in my shop, and I've heard that Morrighan is looking for employment."</p><p>"So you can get your claws in her, not a chance."</p><p>"I don't have my magic anymore, dearie. And I have a feeling that girl can take care of herself."</p><p>"Nuh-un. Nope. She can get a job here or at the department store. I don't need you to decide Morgan would be a great way to punish Zelena."</p><p>"Regina you are already doing that for me." With that, he walked away. </p><p>A few minutes later, Belle walked over. "Hey, have you seen Gideon."</p><p>"Yeah," Regina said and pointed outside. "He's been outside, warming up."</p><p>Belle rolled her eyes. "I never thought music lessons would get this intense."</p><p>At that moment, Morrighan and Gideon came back in, They were laughing at some private joke. Gideon went up to the Karaoke stage and took the mic.</p><p>"Last chance for anyone who wants to sing," he said, eyeing Morrighan.</p><p><em>Go for it</em>, she mouthed.</p><p>"Anyone?" No one moved. "Alright then." He chose a song and sang his heart out to <em>500 Miles</em> by The Proclaimers and was met by ravenous applause. He walked down. No one went to go up after him.</p><p>Everyone turned away and the conversation rose.</p><p>"Um, excuse me," someone said into the mike. It was Morrighan. "Hi, hello." She waved awkwardly.  "I don't know how this thing works so I'm just gonna set my own pace and go acapella."</p><p>"I don't think she's better than you," Alexandra whispered to Gideon. "You're amazing. I don't think there's anyone better than you."</p><p>Morrighan started to sing: "<em>You're a queer one, Julie Jordan...</em>" She had an old English American accent that must have something to do with where the song came from. "...and as silent as an old Sahara spink." The room was silent, and she had barely started. "It's spink," she spoke in the accent and, presumably, in character, "it's spelt with an x when there's more than one. Now, Julie, I have been burstin' to tell ya somethin'. Reason I didn't care te tell ya before was 'cause ya didn't have man, but now that ya do..." She started singing again. <em>"His name is Mister Snow/And an upstandin' man is he..."</em></p><p>She had a gorgeous voice, Regina realized. She looked around. Everyone was staring at Morrighan. Alexandra had her arms crossed and was pouting. Morrighan looked so excited as she mimed out the song, eliciting laughs from everyone around the room. She had a gorgeous voice. Regina couldn't believe she'd never truly heard Morrighan sing before.</p><p>
  
  <iframe></iframe>
</p><p>Everyone applauded. She smiled, beaming as she walked down. She raised an eyebrow at Gideon as she walked down. Gideon stopped her. </p><p>"Now that's a challenge if I've ever seen on," he said.</p><p>"Knoch yourself out," said, moving out of the way for him to walked to the stage.</p><p>"This is my eleventh hour!" Gideon exclaimed. "And I've something for the occasion." He started to sing. <em>"It's/a/show/stoppin' number..."</em></p><p>Morrighan cheered, her face lighting up as she recognized where the song was from. When he finished he looked at Morrighan. "You're an accomplished soprano, so I raise you Idina Menzel. Anything she's sung, any variation. Just not the go-to song, so no <em>Let it Go</em>, <em>Into the Unkown,</em> that song from <em>Rent</em>, and so on. <em>What the Fuck.</em>"</p><p>Morrighan chuckled. "Really,<em> What the Fuck </em>is the out of bounds <em>If/Then </em>number?":</p><p>"Fine, you can't do <em>What the Fuck</em> or<em> Learn to Live Without</em>."</p><p>"Boohoo, I'm soo disappointed," she lamented as she took the mic. </p><p>"<em>Gutes Tun</em>," she spoke softly into the mic. Then she paused, closed her eyes and counted for a few seconds. </p><p>She crouched down low and then: "FIYERO!" She belted into the microphone, rising slowly as she held the notes.</p><p>Regina heard Gideon and a few others swear under their breaths. She looked over at Robin who was beaming with pride.</p><p>"Eleka namen namen/Ah tem ah tem eleka namen/Eleka namen namen/Ah tem ah tem eleka namen," she chated, waving her free hand around is fluid, sweeping motions that still held some sort of strength behind them. </p><p>As she continued, it became clear she wasn't signing in English. It sounded a lot like German. But even though no one could understand her, her face said it all. She was desperate, scared, hurt. And angry, very, very angry. Her voice growled. </p><p>"Nessa," she sang a small, singular note, trembling with a sob. "Doctor Dillamond, Fiyero," she said slowly, holding every soft not before rushing the to the front of the stage. "FIYERO!" she belted out, one hand outstretched as of there was something she wanted just outside of her reach. At the end, she dropped to the ground and continued, moving around the stage, making it feel larger than it truly was.</p><p>Regina could hear Alexandra and her friends whispering to each other.</p><p>She finished off the song, her chest heaving. It took the room a few seconds to realized she had finished. The room shook with applause. </p><p>Morrighan raised the mic again. "I raise you," she said to Gideon. "Literally anything. Top that." Then she put the mic back in the stand and walked off.</p><p>Gideon did not get up to top it. </p><p>"I can't," he admitted when she got back to the corner of the room he was in. "I assume you're a Willemijn Verkaik fan then."</p><p>Morrighan crossed her arms. "Just because I sang in German?"</p><p>"Sorry."</p><p>She smiled. "I am though. I saw her when I was eight. Honestly, though anyone who's played the role is uber-talented. To sing like them..."</p><p>"I think you're pretty close," he said. "That was amazing. I swear you'll be on Broadway before anyone knows what hit them."</p><p>"I have a large ego, don't feed it," Morrighan replied.</p><p>"Let's go," Alexandra exclaimed, "pulling her friends out the door. Comming, Gideon?" She pulled him out the door with her friends.</p><p>Morrighan didn't give any indication that she cared. She sat down at the stool with a smirk on her face and turned the counter.</p><p>Regina and Robin walked up to her.</p><p>"That was amazing," Robin said. He could not hide his smile.</p><p>"Yeah," Regina added, "we're so proud of you."</p><p>"Why?" asked Morrighan. "It's not you've got some investment in whether or not I can sing." She looked back at the table.</p><p>"It was really good," Robin said.</p><p>No response.</p><p>Mary-Margaret came over the rest of the extended family in tow. </p><p>"Wow, that was amazing!" She said, hugging Morrghans.</p><p>"Hi," Henry said from behind her. He was with his wife. He'd met Morrighan once before. Morrighan waved back.</p><p>"That was amazing!" Mary-Margaret said.</p><p>"Thanks," she mumbled.</p><p>"Could we get an English rendition?"</p><p>"No."</p><p>"Encore?"</p><p>"No."</p><p>"That too bad."</p><p>"I couldn't if I wanted too, don't feel too bad."</p><p>"Why?"</p><p>"Not supposed to sing Wicked publically out of contract, at least for now. In English. German is fair game."</p><p>"Well, I might pay to see you do it."</p><p>"Yeah, I know. A bunch of people have." She rolled her eyes. "Hundreds of dollars."</p><p>Regina interjected. "Attitude young lady."</p><p>She rolled her eyes again. "Ready to leave?"</p><p>"You're not having fun?" Robin exclaimed. She looked back at the counted.</p><p>Emma came up and pulled all of them away. "You guys need to give her space," she said. "You're not going to get through to her by jumping on her at every opportunity."</p><p>"But how am I supposed to get to know her?" Robin asked. "If we felt, she wouldn't talk to any of us for the next eight months."</p><p>"Not like this. Now you've got eight months. Figure it out. What do you know about her, what does like, who are her friends? If you push her to be friends with someone or to conform to some mould, she's going to push back. She's her own person, you can't change that. You need to start figuring out she is instead of trying to get her to be who you want her to be."</p><p>Both Regina and Robin were silent for a moment.</p><p>"What are you afraid of?" Emma asked.</p><p>"That she won't stay if we don't make her," Robin said.</p><p>"That..." Regina thought for a moment. No, she had to be honest with herself. "That's she going to turn out like Zelena."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>"But then, I guess we know</b>
</p><p>
  <b>There's blame to share"</b>
</p><p>
  <em>-Wicked: The Musical, For Good</em>
</p><p>When they got home, Morrighan bolted straight to her room. They did not expect her to do anything else. </p><p>Regin and Robin sat down on the living room couch. They were going to come up with a plan.</p><p>"She won't speak to me," Robin said. "You'll have to do something."</p><p>Regina nodded. "I wonder what Zelena remembers," she said. "What she might have told Morgan. I have no idea how my spell justified the father of her child marrying her sister and trying to buy her newborn. And then them leaving before the second child was even born."</p><p>Robin's face fell. "It doesn't matter what Zelena remembers, it's what she told Morrighan. Morrighan could hate me for things I've never done, would never do."</p><p>"So she needs to get you."</p><p>"How? It's not like our current attempts to hang out have been much use." He leaned into Regina. and she wrapped her arms around him, cradling him.</p><p>"We've been thinking about ourselves," Regina said. "What we want. What does she want?"</p><p>"To never see us again," Robin offered.</p><p>"Besides that."</p><p>"I have no idea."</p><p>"And there's our problem," concluded Regina.</p><p>Robin nodded. 'How do we fix it."</p><p>Regina sighed. She believed she had an idea, and she hated it with every fibre of her being. "We could call Zelena." They had her number. Of course, they did. Zelena had theirs too. She'd never called them.</p><p>"What time do you think it is over there?" Robin asked. </p><p>Regina had silently been hoping he'd be opposed tot he idea. "I'm not sure. Probably early morning."</p><p>"Let's give it a shot," Robin said. What did they have to lose?</p><p>Regina got out her phone and scrolled through her contact lists. Underneath "Morrighan" was "Morrighan's Mother." She pressed Call.</p><p>The phone rang. And rang.</p><p>"Guten Morgan," a familiar voice answered. The was a lot of noise in the background. </p><p>"Hi, Zelena."</p><p>"Is Morrighan okay?" she asked panicked.</p><p>"Yes, she fine," Regina replied, a bit confused.</p><p>"Then why are you calling?" There was some shuffling. The voice of a small child calling "Mutter!" in the background could be heard. "Just a moment," she said to Regina. They could hear her speaking to the kid quietly. "I'm back," she said after a minute.</p><p>Regina took a deep breath and squeezed Robin's hand for encouragement. "We, were, uh, I was," she stuttered. They were an ocean away from each other. "I was wondering if you knew what Morrighan liked. Like, if, uh, wanted to take her somewhere, where would she like to go?"</p><p>"Have you tried asking her?"</p><p>"Yes," Regina replied flatly, "otherwise I wouldn't be calling."</p><p>Zelena chuckled. "So it's not going well, I presume?"</p><p>"Is this amusing you?"</p><p>"Yes," she said matter-of-factly, "it is."</p><p>"What do you remember happening," Regina asked with a shaky voice, "Between the two of us, from your point of view." She did not want to set Zelena off. Her sister could just hang up and be done with them, and all of this would never work.</p><p>"You mean how your boyfriend pretended to be into me to get me pregnant because you are infertile?" she asked, "then you locked me away in a foreign country and fled when the first child died, not caring enough whether I lived or died? All of it, sister." </p><p>"Oh."</p><p>"Oh? That's all you have to say?" There wasn't anything else to say. They lived in separate realities. But neither of them was blameless in either one.</p><p>"I want to apologize," Regina said, "Make amends. Fix what's broken."</p><p>"Nothing's broken, Regina. There's nothing to fix because there is nothing between us. And whatever might have been between us once is now gone. You didn't just shatter it, you pounded it into a pulp and threw what remained in into the abyss of oblivion."</p><p>"There is," she said.</p><p>"There is what?"</p><p>"Something between us," Regina said. "Someone, actually."</p><p>"And you want me to make her like you? Newsflash, she's an independent person, not some puppet in your schemes. I can't make her like you any more than I make her like a certain ice cream flavour."</p><p>"What's her favourite ice cream flavour?" Regina asked.</p><p>"She hates ice cream."</p><p>"No one does."</p><p>"Then you don't know your niece. Look, Regina," another cry of "Mutter!" interrupted her. "Just a sec," she said into the phone. They could hear her running around and talking to a kid, then bringing him somewhere. There was a second voice, male, presumably the boy's father. They might as well have been speaking gibberish as the only thing Regina could make out was Zleena's slightly exasperated tone and the calming one of the man paired with the fussiness of the child.</p><p>"If you're busy," Regina said when Zelena came back, "I could call back when you're not."</p><p>"I'm always busy Regina. Just spill. I'm putting you on a kitchen timer. When it goes off, we're done."</p><p>"How much-"</p><p>"Tick-tock," Zelena cut her off.</p><p>"I think we can both agree," Regina started cautiously, "that we want the best for Morrighan. And I think we can both agree that we will never agree on what that is." She and Emma still bickered sometimes over Henry, even though he was already planning on having kids of his own with his wife. "But all that aside, I just wasn't her to have a good time. I'm sure you want that too."</p><p>"Yes," admitted Zelena. "She shouldn't suffer because we cannot put aside our differences."</p><p>"So what can I, what we can we, Robin and I, what can we do?"</p><p>Zelena sighed. "Activity is the main thing. We normally do six to eight hours a day at the circus. Structure. She likes schedules. Let her hang out with her friends. I know you don't know them, but she's known those kids longer than she's known you. And they won't stop being strangers until you meet them." Regina hadn't thought about it that way. "And maybe don't try to sabotage her contracts again. Believe it or not, she's actually talented."</p><p>"Yeah, we realized tonight."</p><p>"It's too late for that. Seriously, you should have at least gone to see the show. She feels like you only care about the idea of her, not her herself."</p><p>"She told you that?"</p><p>"I'm her mother, I know."</p><p>"Thank you," Regina said as the timer went off. </p><p>"And Regina?"</p><p>"Yes?"</p><p>"Take good care of my daughter." Click. The line went silent.</p><p>Regina and Robin looked at each other. They had a plan.</p>
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<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>"There were more ways to live than the ones given by one's superiors"</b>
</p><p>
  <em>― Gregory Maguire, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West</em>
</p><p>Regina and Robin walked up to Morrighan's room.</p><p>"Stay here," Regina whispered to Robin. Maybe is her was close, but not necessarily present she would get used to him.</p><p>Robin stood just outside the door as Regina walked in. Morrighan had moved the dress form to the center of the room. She had boxes full of tiny beads and had brought the lamp over for light. She was stringing the beads and pinning them to the dress.</p><p>"Hi," Regina said before she got too close.</p><p>Morrighan looked up over her shoulder. "Hi," she echoed. She turned back to her string of beads.</p><p>Regina sat down in as close as she could get without getting into the danger zone of spilling the beads. "What are you doing now?" she asked.</p><p>"Seriously?" Morrighan asked. "I'm beading, duh."</p><p>"Okay, so talk me through it," said Regina.</p><p>"I pick up some beads, organize them on this track, then string them," she says as she does it. "It's not that hard."</p><p>"So, you're supposed to be getting a job," Regina starts.</p><p>"And I've been reading the newspaper. It turns out no one wants a stranger working for them."</p><p>"Well, I've got some suggestions," Regina said. "I've been talking with the principal at the high school-"</p><p>"Because you've decided my German diploma one isn't as good as an American one?"</p><p>"No. They want to plan a trip to New York, and I was thinking since you've been there before, you could help them plan."</p><p>"And how is that a full-time job for the next eight months?"</p><p>"It's not, however," she continued, "I thought you might enjoy it. Also, that kid Gideon, his dad owns a shop here in town and he's getting on his years and looking for some help. Gideon helps out after school, but I'm sure he could use some during the day."</p><p>"What does he do?"</p><p>"He runs a pawn shop."</p><p>"That sounds interesting."</p><p>Regina chuckled. "Yes, it is. So, what do you think? We could go by the shop tomorrow, and you could talk to Mary-Margaret after school."</p><p>"Well, it would suck to get arrested for violating a court order the second I turn eighteen," she said nonchalantly. </p><p>"It would be," agreed Regina.</p><p>"It's a deal, then," Morrighan replied. </p><p>Regina got up, but she did not leave. Morrighan when back to acting as if she did not exist. Regina walked around the room. She hadn't put much or up or since the first day she arrived. She found herself drawn to the bedside table with a collection of pictures. She picked one up. It was Zelena in a white gown in the arms a tall man, beaming. Morrighan was standing in front of them holding a large bouquet. The man had a hand on her shoulder. She looked to be around eight years old.</p><p>The one beside it was a picture with Zelena holding a baby, the man again with his arms wrapped around her, and Morrighan, a few years older than in the previous picture, was staring at the baby. That must be the child she'd heard in the phone call. Balancing on that frame was a smaller picture, much like wedding one, only Morrighan looked closer to fourteen. There was a girl, maybe ten, standing beside them, holding Zelena's free hand. Zelena was holding a baby and a five-year-old was standing in between the two girls. The man had his arms around Morrighan and the other girl. Everyone was smiling. They looked like the perfect family.</p><p>There were two more pictures. One was Morrighan doing the splits upside down in aerial silks holding a boy around the same age with one arm. They weren't looking at the camera, but each other. Her hair and the silks seemed to float, so they must have been spinning when the picture was taken.</p><p>The last one, closet to the bed, was similar to the poster she had. She was standing on what might have been a stage, in an elaborate dress and green facepaint in a black pointed had. She was kissing the cheek of a guy in a green guard uniform and Regina could see that she was holding a broom with her arm around him. A girl beside Morrighan with perfect blonde hair and a crown was dressed in an elaborate blue jewelled gown. She held a long want in hand and had her free hand on Morrighan's that was wrapped around her shoulder, pulling her in. Smoke was billowing around them. </p><p>Regina wondered if she should say something. "These are nice," she commented. </p><p>Morrighan looked up. "Sure," she said. </p><p>"Want to tell me about them?"</p><p>"Nope," she replied.</p><p>"Are you sure," she said, picking up the one with the most people. "Come on, tell me who these people are."</p><p>"There's my mom, the baby, me, my dad, and my adopted siblings," she said quickly, without making eye contact.</p><p>That was the wrong picture. She picked up the WIcked one. "How about this?"</p><p>She looked up for a second. "Press shots."</p><p>"Who's in the picture?"</p><p>"Me and the other actors."</p><p>Regina calmed herself. "What are their names?"</p><p>"Morrighan Westen, Country Mclellan, and Anthony Gobber."</p><p>"How did you meet?"</p><p>"Secret project."</p><p>"Right," Regina put the picture down.</p><p>She walked back over to Morrighan and sat down beside her. "I just want to talk to you."</p><p>"And I don't want to talk to you."</p><p>"I don't believe that," Regina said, but she did. She truly believed if Morrighan had a choice, she'd forget that she and Robin exist. She tried not to look up to where she was pretty sure Robin was still standing. She didn't want to somehow draw him in more than he already was. She was navigating these waters alone so that he may have a guide when he had to. Regina moved a bit closer. "Come one, anything? What's your favourite colour? I'm very partial to red."</p><p>"Purple," she said, still stringing beads.</p><p>"What are you doing to the gown?" Regina asked, "What are the bead for?"</p><p>"I'm going to pin them on these pannels here," she said, holding the sting she was working on up. "Like this. That one is done. It's 167 strings of beads." </p><p>The dress had changed a bit, Regina noticed, since she'd first seen it. The what over panels were now pleated so that they now puffed up and have the dress a lot more shape. She was draping those panels with beads. The pink-ish pearl underskirt was detailed with exquisite, fine embroidery along the edge and sequins had been sewn in. The bust had elbow-length sleeves and sweetheart neckline. It was embroidered, beaded, and bejewelled in intricate patterns. </p><p>"Your friend is going to look gorgeous in this," Regina complemented.</p><p>"She'd better," Morrighan joked. </p><p>"Why are you making it?" Regina asked.</p><p>"Because I want to," Morrighan said without a hint of snark in her tone, "and she asked me to. Besides, I love costume design and I haven't been in the circus for a while."</p><p>"Because of the secret project?" Morrighan nodded. "Did you learn sewing from the circus?" Morrighan nodded again.</p><p>"I learnt everything there," she said. "Singing, dancing, aerial. Languages, math, laws. Turns out there's a lot people need to know to keep a circus running. That's why they kick you out until you get a college or university degree."</p><p>"Did your friend ask you because she wanted something elaborate?" </p><p>"No," Morrighan smiled. "She wanted it altered a bit and embroidered. I took one look and knew that deep down there was no way she honestly wanted to get married in it. The white bits are the original dress. It was a pencil fit. The pearl fabric I found a secondhand shop. She paid me back of course, but she's got no clue what I'm doing."</p><p>"Aren't you worried you might ruin her wedding?"</p><p>"Nope. The original dress would ruin her wedding. She would hate it deep down. She wants to be all grown-up and classy or whatever and chose her mother's old one. But I highly doubt she would have gone with the evening dress style if there wasn't a sentimental connection. She would have gone dress-shopping and settles on some gown half as elaborate as this. And felt underwhelmed. Once I finish, I just have to get her in it without her seeing it first. Once she's it in, she'll never want to take it off. And besides, if she really hates it,  this comes out to like twenty bucks total. She's not out that much."</p><p>"You know, none of your friends have come over to visit." Regina was going to take Zelena's suggestion. She did not think, for once, that her sister was trying to sabotage her. </p><p>"That's because they are busy, and you have a strict 'no stagers' rule with strangers being whomever you decide you don't want me talking too."</p><p>"I'm sorry about that," Regina said. "I overreacted."</p><p>"Yeah, you did. You are the stranger. For all purposes, you've legally kidnapped me and are keeping me hostage. And you yelled at my younger sister while I was skyping her. She cried. Now she won't skype me."</p><p>"I'm sorry about that too." Regina looked away.</p><p>"You can't keep on being sorry for stuff," Morrighan said. "Sorry does fix anything. It's not a magic cureall."</p><p>"You're right," Regina said. "Things need to change, and it's not just you."</p><p>"Welcome to the 21st century," she snapped.</p><p>"But you can't go on being snarky like that either," Regina said. "Or ignoring Robin. He's your father."</p><p>"No, he's not. He's an over-glorified sperm donor." She crossed her arms. "He's never been there for me. Neither of you have been. Do you even care that Mom is sick?"</p><p>Regina felt like she'd been slapped. "Zelena's sick?"</p><p>"You don't even know?" Morrighan dropped what she was doing. "Do you honestly think I'd be here right now if she wasn't? You only see what you want to see, don't you?"</p><p>"I-"</p><p>"Get out," Morrighan growled. "And leave me alone."</p><p>"Morgan."</p><p>"Don't call me that. And I said get out!" she screamed and stood up.</p><p>Regina lept to her feet and was pushed out the door before it was slammed shut. That didn't go as planned. Regina and Robin stood there, too afraid to move. They could hear her crying.</p><p>Slowly, they made their way to their room. Later that night, Regina went back. Morrighan has passed out on the bed, her phone still playing music. Here beads were still all over the floor. She sat on the bed beside her niece whos face was still blotched from crying. She stroked Morrighan's hair as she took the phone from her hand and took her earbud out and left them neatly on her nightstand. She then made sure that she was comfortable and wouldn't wake up with a bad cramp. While she was doing so Morrighan woke up.</p><p>Regina stared at her, waiting for her to say something.</p><p>Morrighan said nothing. She just stared and pulled her knees close to her. Regina sat down next to her and rubbed her back. Morrighan didn't resist. Slowly, her head fell onto Regina's shoulder and she cried. Regina held her and kissed her head.</p><p>"I'm here," she whispered as she rocked Morrighan back and forth, "I'm here for you." </p><p>Robin walked by and stopped when he saw them. Regina mouthed to him to leave it, she would fill him in later, and he silently walked back to their room before Morrighan noticed.</p><p>"You can let it all out," Regina said. Everyone needed to elt everything out sometimes. Letting your feelings get all bottled up never helped anyone. </p><p> </p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Zelena was sick. Regina had called back. Zelena's husband had picked up. He confirmed it. Some unknown illness. Zelena was going in and out of good days and bad days, days when she could perform at the circus and days when she could barely get out of bed. The doctors prescribed something new every few months. </p><p>Zelena thought everyone was overreacting. Everything thought that was how she rationalizing her mortality. No one had bothered to tell Regina or Robin. </p><p>That's when the realized they had no idea what Zelena did at the circus. So they googled it. She did the Russian Bar. It was a long, flexible bar held by two men, one on either side, and they used it as a trampoline to fling her into the air as did flips and tricks and got caught by aerialists.</p><p>
  
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</p><p>They couldn't imagine the Zelena they knew doing circus, but the proof was right in front of them. Zelena was not the Zelena they knew. She had a loving husband and children. She had a carrier. And not just as a performer. She was high up in the circus administration. But she had not changed. She was a completely new person. And there was a difference. What would happen if she got her old memories back? Regina highly doubted she'd be the virtuous person her cursed self was.</p><p>Morrighan was still out on her morning run. Even so, Regina found herself checking over her shoulder before she wrote Morrighan Westen into the search bar. She's resisted googling her niece for some time now. Maybe that had been a mistake. </p><p>Robin sat down beside her and put his arm around her waist. Regina pressed the search button.</p><p>The results started popping up. The first one was a YouTube Channel entitled Morgan &amp; Cirque. They watched the trailer. It started with a clip of her and Zelena walking down a street, giggling and talking in German. The music picked up and the scene changed to Morrighan lying on a bed. "Hi, I'm Morrighan," she said before it quickly flashed a bunch of pictures. "Here you'll find vlogs, reviews, multilingual videos, and lots of exclusive behind the scenes." For the last thirty seconds or so, a bunch of different clips showing Morrighan and others participating in all sorts of activities in a variety of locals. It ended with Mrrighan in her Wicked Witch costume filming herself in the mirror while she said: "Sleduy za mnoy v etom zlom puteshestvii." White text translated it as "Follow me on this wicked journey." Then the video faded to black and prompted them to subscribe.</p><p>Regina went to the "About" tab. It read: "Hi, I'm Morrighan Westen. I'm currently located in the US as Broadway's Elphaba in Wicked: The Musical. Multilingual. Grew up in a travelling circus, Starlight Euphoria. Let's hang out." It was followed by a bunch of contact info.</p><p>The most recent video had been filmed in her room here. It was a book review. They went through her channel. There were countless videos of her reviewing books, signing, performing, and behind the scenes. </p><p>Robin took the mouse from Regina and sorted the videos by most popular. The majority popular ones had to do with Wicked, with the exception of one posted a year ago entitled "Dro Straps Morrighan &amp; Lorcan - Circus expo." It had close to a million views.</p><p>
  
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</p><p>"Do you trust me that much?" Regina joked after they watched it.</p><p>"Honestly Regina, I don't trust myself to try that." They both chuckled. "She's very good at it," Robin said.</p><p>"Yeah, she is," Regina said. "She's goo at everything so far. You would be proud."</p><p>"It's not my accomplishment," Robin said. "I hate it, I want it to be, but it's not mine. It hers and Zelena's and that boy Lorcan's." He sighed. "I wonder if they're dating. Oh god, she could be dating." He ran his hands through his hair. "I have no idea."</p><p>"We did think this through," Regina muttered. "But we are going to figure this out. I feel like I'm making all the same mistakes over again. All the same mistakes I made with Henry. I nearly ruined it for us and I don't want that to happen to you and Morrighan."</p><p>"There's nothing to ruin right now," Robin said. "We need to work on building something." He looked back at the laptop. "We could just watch a bunch of her videos, or interviews or something." he said, " but that feels like cheating."</p><p>"We could," Regina said. "It might not be as bad. But it is your call."</p><p>'What activity do we have here in Storybrooke that would be interesting to a teenager who's done everything?"</p><p>"I don't think it's about finding something interesting, it's about making something interesting."</p><p>They turned as they heard the door creek open. Morrighan walked in, placing her shoes on the mat. She walked into the kitchen and got out some water, ignoring them.</p><p>"Morrighan," Regina called.</p><p>"Hm?" she asked after taking a sip.</p><p>"So we had a plan for today," Regina continued, testing the waters.</p><p>Morrighan nodded. </p><p>"How are you feeling?"</p><p>"Fine." She was curt. She started walking towards the stairs to the second floor.</p><p>Regina got up to follow her. "Stay here," she whispered to Robin, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. </p><p>She followed Morrighan to her room.</p><p>"I'm changing, Morrighan said as she entered. "So unless you're a creep you might want to let me change without disturbing me."</p><p>"Peace," Regina said.</p><p>Morrighan gave her a quizzical look. "What?'</p><p>"Peace," Regina repeated. "Between you and me. I want to start over on the right foot."</p><p>Morrighan crossed her arms and leaned back against the wall. "There's not starting over, only moving forwards."</p><p>"Then let's move forwards together." Regina took a step closer. "This doesn't have to suck. It doesn't have to be a battle. You did not choose to come here, I know that but," she was going out on a whim but she was quite sure she was right, "I have a feeling that your mother wanted you to come here, to some degree."</p><p>"No," she said. "She did not."</p><p>"Oh, Well-"</p><p>"My fa- step-father, wanted me too."</p><p>Regina broke the gap between them. "Oh."</p><p>"He said I should get to know my real family or whatever because this might be my last chance."</p><p>"And?"</p><p>"And he was wrong. You're not my real family. And I never should have agreed to do the stupid musical, I just should have stayed in Heidelburg."</p><p>"It's not your fault."</p><p>"it is. Lorcan and I were doing this stupid stunt way up high and the venue insisted on safety harness and nets but we were too high for a net to make a difference, so we had harnesses. Couldn't really do too much in them, but whatever. And the fix for the harnesses came off of the bar and nearly pulled us down with it and it swung around and knocked a bunch of people up and messed up all the nets. It hit mom right in the chest and she went sailing into the sidelines. And since then she's had all these health problems."</p><p>"That's a coincidence," Regina said. </p><p>"Maybe, maybe not. The doctors have no idea. It could be some freak-accident related sickness. And two people are paralyzed for life because of it."</p><p>"It's not your fault," Regina said. She rubbed Morrighan's back. "It's the fault of whoever installed it."</p><p>"Well, it feels like my fault. And now everyone hates me."</p><p>"No one hates you."</p><p>"My stepdad sent me away."</p><p>"I'm not so sure about that. Besides, haven't you been in the States for over a year?"</p><p>"True," she said. </p><p>"I think, and I may be wrong, but I think that he is trying to get you to connect with Robin."</p><p>"Or maybe you are projecting." There was no malice on Morrighan's tone.</p><p>Regina hugged her and Morrighan hugged her back. "I think he cares about you a lot."</p><p>"I know he does," Morrighan said.</p><p>"But sometimes it's easier to just hate yourself," Regina said, "and be mad at the world."</p><p>"Yep."</p><p>"That's going to end here, okay?" Regina wiped a tear from her niece's eye. "We've got a plan for today. "</p><p>"Yes we do," agreed Morrighan. "But I still need to get changed. I'm all sweaty."</p>
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<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I am Canadian and do not understand American school year slang so going with Secs (technically French Canadian but whatever; short form for Secondaire meaning secondary i.e. sec 1 = grade 7).</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Morrighan came back out of her room with her hair up in a braided bun, wearing a black t-shirt with the Wicked Witch of the West on it and cursive letters that read "Defying Gravity" and knee-length jeans. She was wearing black fishnet fingerless gloves Regina had not seen before.</p><p>Regina did not say anything. But she was worried about what other people would see. They would see Zelena's daughter glorifying Zelena, not a kid who had the role of a lifetime on Broadway.</p><p>"Ready to go?" Morrighan asked. Robin was in the room.</p><p>"Yeah," Regina said. "It's a bit chilly," she added, though Morrighan probably already knew that.</p><p>"I know," the girl said.</p><p>She walked with them over to the front hall and grabbed a blue sweater. She zipped it up halfway. Regina opened the door for her and the three of them walked outside.</p><p>First, they went to Mr. Gold's shop. It was closed. So, they backtracked and went to the Charming's place of residence. David was out, but Neil and Mary-Margaret were there. Neil was playing videogames with a friend.</p><p>Mary-Margaret led Morrighan to the island and they both sat down on the stools. Regina walked over to the other side and look at all the papers her stepdaughter had strewn about.</p><p>"Everything's good here?" Regina asked.</p><p>Morrighan nodded.</p><p>"So, we'll be heading out," Regina continued.</p><p>"Don't worry, I'll take good care of her," Mary-Margaret reassured them.</p><p>"Bye," Regina and Robin said as they walked out the door. Morrighan waved.</p><p>Then she turned back to the papers on the island. Morrighan read them quietly, twirling the end of her hair.</p><p>"Those are what some of the students have suggested," Mary-Margaret said. "They're organized by grade, though the administration isn't sure exactly who's going yet, we will probably split them with sec one to three, then four and five, and sec six alone."</p><p>"It looks like they all want to do similar things," Morrighan said, "Unless your planning to be there for two weeks you won't get through all of this." She started moving the papers into groups. "If we organized them by a theme, say those interested in art, or history and stuff, then had groups based on the activity, people could do what they wanted. That is what we did in the circus. Just grab your partner and be back before everything was packed up. But that would not work for a school trip, I guess. Like you must monitor them, right?"</p><p>"Yes," Mary-Margaret said. "But that's a surprisingly good idea. We could make two or three groups, and have common activities that everyone does, and them more specific ones to the group."</p><p>"And maybe sec six gets their own group if they're graduating. Grad trips are a thing, right? Or is there a different trip in mind?"</p><p>"No, just New York for now."</p><p>Morrighan nodded again. "And you'll need to think of transit. Will you walk everywhere or take the Subway? There's a bunch of things that go into this."</p><p>"It's a good thing we've got all day," Mary-Margaret said. "How about I make some tea and we can really dive into it."</p><p>"That sounds lovely," Morrighan replied with a smile.</p><hr/><p>Regina and Robin came back around four. Mary-Margaret and Morrighan were still buried in the papers, however, they had also moved on to staking them on the kitchen counters and had outlines on a whiteboard.</p><p>"It's going well?" Robin asked.</p><p>"Great," Mary-Margaret replied. Se walked over and took their hands, bring them to the kitchen. "Look here," she said, pointing to a map with hundreds of little dots and lines. "The yellow line is for group one, orange group two, and green is for the grads. At least on day one. So, what we have planned is that there are two groups people can choose between. One had a more art/history vibe to it, and another is more attraction/shopping based. Obviously, there is some overlap and some free time, but that is the general gist. Then we're giving the twelfth graders their own trip since they would all want to hang out anyways." She continued, walking them through everything for day one.</p><p>"Seems like a good plan," Regina said.</p><p>"Yeah, I'll have to run it by the administration, but I don't see why they would reject it."</p><p>"That's great."</p><p>"Yeah, and for the second day, we were thinking that everyone should go to a musical."</p><p>"That's going to be expensive," Regina said.</p><p>Morrighan nodded. "Yeah, but it depends on the musical. <em>Hamilton </em>will be a thousand dollars per head no doubt but say you went to <em>Mrs. Doupfire</em>, that is only a hundred. So, it depends on where people want to go. And since this a school trip, you might be able to get a bulk discount or something for so many people going."</p><p>"I'm just not sure how to go about that," Mary-Margaret said.</p><p>"I might know a few people," Morrighan said. "Or someone who knows someone. Can't guarantee the musical though."</p><p>"Because you were in one?" Mary-Margaret asked.</p><p>"Kind of. You get discounts for Broadway when you are on, but that is just for you and sometimes a friend or two. What I am thinking about was this time a school group came. There were like fifty of them and they managed to get discounted seats and a backstage tour. Although I think most of them ended up wanted to go to the stage door instead. They were not as interested in that as the teachers were. I'm fairly sure I know who they did it through."</p><p>"Stage door?"</p><p>"There's a special door that people can wait outside if they want to meet the actors after a show."</p><p>"That's cool," Mary-Margaret said. "You don't have to call on any favours or anything though. I am sure there is the budget for it. We never do school trips."</p><p>"Are you ready to go?" Regina asked.</p><p>"Yeah, I'll just grab my sweater." Morrighan went over to the coat rack and puller her sweater off and zipped it up.</p><p>"Catch you later," Mary-Margaret said, giving everyone a hug as they made their way to the door.</p><p>The three of them were walking down the stairs when they ran into Neil, Gideon, and more of their friends.</p><p>"Morrighan!" Gideon exclaimed, "Hi."</p><p>"Hi," Morrighan said back with less enthusiasm.</p><p>"How are you today, boys?' Robin asked.</p><p>"Fine," they mumbled.</p><p>As the three of them turned to walk down the stairs, Gideon called out: "Hey, where did you get that sweater?"</p><p>"What?" Morrighan asked, turning back to face him.</p><p>"Shiz Alumni. That must be a replica, right?"</p><p>Morrighan was still confused. "Oh, she said after a second, "it was a gift." She turned and walked down the stairs.</p><p>Regina has not noticed that her sweater said Shiz along the bottom, not the crest on the side saying alumni before it had been pointed out.</p><p>When they got back to the house, Mr. Gold had left a message on the phone, asking for Morrighan to come down to the shop after supper. They ate leftover spaghetti and Morrighan went down to Mr. Gold's shop alone, arguing it was not very professional to have adults walking you to your interview. Regina wanted to argue that her outfit was not professional, but she dropped the subject with a stern look from Robin.</p><p>"Today was better," he said once Morrighan had left.</p><p>Regina nodded. Today had been better.</p>
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<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Robin started supper. They weren't sure when Morrighan would be back, but they'd keep something for her.</p><p>Regina went up to their bedroom. She pulled out her laptop and sprawled out on the bed, starting to reply to emails. She got through big chunk before her focus waved and she opened Chrome. She went to YouTube. To Morrighan's channel.</p><p><em>It's not cheating,</em> she reassured herself. This stuff was public. Maybe Morrighan wanted them to see it.</p><p>She went over to the playlists. There were a bunch of them. One for book reviews, circus acts, videos in other languages, and song covers. Then she saw the ones for Vlogs and Wicked BTS, whatever that meant.</p><p>She clicked on the vlogs, sorted them by most recent. It was from around a year ago.</p><p>Regina put in her earphones and started sifting through the videos. Ones from around a year ago were sparse, most of them in Califonia. There were a few from New York. Stuff from a year and a half ago started to bleed into circus life, and soon morphed into long travel videos in multiple languages. Luckily, they were all subtitled. She watched as Morrighan took her around Europe with the Starlight, going to museums, art galleries, and small coffee and book shops. She walked around gorgeous streets with Zelena, the two of them joking and beaming. Her stepfather was heavily featured too, although she called him her father. Her younger siblings less so. It seems that two of them were adopted, for they look nothing like Zelena and her husband, while the youngest, an infant in the videos, must have been theirs.</p><p>She also noted that sometime just under two years ago, she'd dyed her hair black and gotten long hair extensions. Her current reverse ombre shoulderblade length cut seemed to be a result of that.</p><p>It seemed wrong, how simply Regina could sift through the videos and get a glimpse of her life. But it was only a glimpse. When she went to recent videos, none of them were personal. They were reviews, games, or storytimes about the circus. They were removed, yet they weren't. At least, they did not feel removed. They somehow still exhumed the same chaotic random energy that seemed to come with driving across Europe for one's entire life. It was a completely different side of Morrighan she'd never seen before.</p><p>Regina went back to playlists and clicked the Wicked one.</p><p>The smell of Robin's cooking began to float into the room.</p><p>The first video was basically a vlog. It was of her and her friends, Country and Anthony. It started off as a normal travel vlog, but quickly became a fast mess of rehearsals and random shopping trips. There was a deliberate chaoticness to it. There were a few more videos in the same vein, but Regina skipped them.</p><p>The next one was entitled "Becoming Elphaba" and it was timelapse of someone applying green makeup to her face. It would stop here and there as people came to talk to her, or she said something interesting, but overall it was a quick interesting video until the end. Someone was filming her as she walked out of the theatre into the street and just stood there, seeing how people reacted. Then she went over the entrance of the Gershwin, posing and making jokes with the posters of her face. Regina got none of them</p><p>"What are you doing," Robin asked. She had not heard him come up.</p><p>"I cracked," she admitted. "I've been watching Morrighan videos."</p><p>Robin came up and laid down beside her, warping an arm around her shoulder.</p><p>"You don't have to fix this for me," he said.</p><p>"It doesn't change the fact that I broke it," she muttered.</p><p>Robin turned her face so that his eyes were burning hers. "You did not," he said with conviction. "We both have to fix it. Together."</p><p>Regina rolled her eyes. "You're starting to sound like Snow."</p><p>"She's smart, you know," Robin said with a wink, planting a kiss on the corner of Regina's mouth. Mrs. Hood couldn't help but smile. "And so are you. We can do this together."</p><p>He took one of the earplugs from Regina and put it in his own ear. "We'll do this together too," Robin said. He rubbed her back. "That's what we signed up for. You and me against the world. Nothing else but you, me, Henry, and Roland. Henry and Roland are off, now it's just you and me."</p><p>Regina smiled and leaned into him. She liked those words coming from his mouth. You and me. something she never thought she could have. But she did. And it had been wonderful. And it still would be wonderful. They had rough patches. This was one of them. It was always darkest before the dawn, and this darkness was promising one of the most brilliant dawns yet.</p><p>Huddled together the two of them watched a few more videos. Regina clued Robin in on a few things she had gleaned from the other videos, but other than that, they said nothing. They got tours of the Gershwin and watched as Morrighan and her friends played games in-between shows. There were a lot of jokes neither of them got, things someone said that sent another into a laughing fit. Like there was something they were not in on.</p><p>It got less jarring seeing Morrighan in clothes with <em>Wicked </em>plastered all over them, or her face and hands painted green. They got used to her smiles and laughs and the cute way she blushed when she said she loved her mom and dad like she knew she was supposed to be a rebelling teenager, but moving across the ocean was rebellion enough and she really did not have the stomach for it.</p><p>There was an odd, hour-long video that they skipped. It was just entitled "How to deal with Broadway" and the description read nothing more than "Rachel Tucker owed me a favour." It started out normal, the two of them on a couch in a room not often featured in the videos, talking about why they were there and not performing, with overdramatic bitterness. Then it got weird, the sound of the calm interview continuing while the video changed. They talked over themselves staring at the camera as the crawled into small spaced or mimed out a sketch. They did not waste time finishing the video, but they did check the comments. All of them were just as confused, the top one saying nothing more then "I BET IT'S A METAPHOR!" People were arguing about what, or if eight shows a week made one go mad. Maybe Broadway was actually a cult, and Rachel and Morrighan were escaping through the cracks. It was silly.</p><p>They skipped that video to the last one on the playlist.</p><p>"I'm leaving Broadway," Morrighan said. She had a serious face and tone, and her accent was prominent, an odd mix of German and British with a hint of something else. She was in the room they knew as the Elphaba dressing room. Except in the background, the door was closed and there was no one around. "It'll be in two months. I don't know the exact date yet, but um, if you were going to buy tickets for three months from now just to see me don't, as I won't be on stage. However, Jinny, Virginia." Her voice changed from sombre to a dramatic excitement accompanied by sharp, overdone arm waves. "My amazingly talented stand-by who you've all seen here before and who covered me that time the stage fell down and we made it up by doing 12 shows in a week and I was told I could only do 10, or that one time I got food poisoning and did a witch switch only to use my time offstage swallowing all the medications I could so that I could do act two. She'll be taking on as the official billed Elphaba, hopefully. If she doesn't, I <em>will </em>riot. So don't worry, she is amazingly talented. I mean, everyone who's been cast as Elphaba, whether it's as an understudy, stan-by, or billed, is amazing and she's managed to negotiate a few cool rifts in <em>Defying Gravity </em>that I definitely did not have the power to get so there's that to look forwards to, too."</p><p>Her smile fell. "But yeah I'll be leaving Broadway. It sucks. I love this role and I honestly can't believe I haven't been fired yet, but um anyways..." She ran her hands through her hair. "I don't think I'm done with Elphie. I'll be going to university after this. I've got a scholarship to a school in Germany. I'm not going to say which one for privacy reasons, but I am hoping to help get another production of <em>Wicked </em>going in Germany, and I really really really, with a fierce ferocity want to be involved with <em>Wicked</em>, even if it's cleaning the stage, during the 20th anniversary and I will do whatever it takes to be involved somewhere somehow when that happens. So don't worry, I'm not burning any bridges, hopefully, and hopefully I'll be back in this role. Maybe on the West End, maybe somewhere else. Just not as soon as anyone, myself included, would like."</p><p>She pauses and takes a breath. "I'm hoping I'll make it to a hundred shows. It's killing me that I can't give you guys a date. But on the bright side, I can't get fired or quit, so I can like literally sing whatever I feel like. I mean like I said I don't want to burn any bridges, but at the same time stuff like this will ruffle peoples' feathers and it would really suck if someone decides I messed up this run of <em>Wicked </em>even though if I had a say I'd never leave the Gershwin. I think that's what's really bugging me. My lack of choice. This past year and a half, I've really been maturing and learning to live independently and I've been finding out who I am as a person and what I want to do with my life, outside of the circus," she starts to mutter, "I should have gotten emancipated," then her voice pucks up with a loud "But!"</p><p>"But, I guess I don't have to force myself to grow up anymore. And if I'm being completely honest, this has been chaotic, even by my standards. Which is weird, because I don't feel like I'm doing as much, because I'm not but..." Morrighan trailed off again. She was trying to hide but anyone could tell that she was upset. Very upset. "If I'm going to be utterly and completely honest, I'm mad. I feel like I've got this whole life planned out and some strangers come in and tell me that they think my mom is doing a bad job because Broadway won't be a career. I mean sure, Broadway is hard, especially if you're not in it, but I don't even know if I want a career in Broadway. And then they freak out about a gap year because I don't have a 'real job' and I am living with a bunch of teenagers in a flat. Even if I was in uni, I would be living with a bunch of teenagers in a flat. And I would not have a real job! I would not. I would not even have a full-time job. I'd have a part-time job with no prospects. Seriously, what sounds cooler 'barista' or 'played Elphaba at sixteen'? I have a feeling it's 'played Elphaba,<em> on Broadway, at sixteen</em>'. Back to the living situation. It would be the same. Because I live in a <em>travelling </em>circus."</p><p>She sighed "It just feels like I'm being attacked, I guess, and I don't know how to deal with it. And I know it's not me. I know it's whatever happened with them and my mom. And I think that's getting in the way of everything, and that we are getting off on the wrong foot. The very wrong foot. Like I can tell right now that I'm not going to be the better person in the situation. And that's frustrating me because I like to be the better person. But I'm already starting to feel apathetic. Apathetic to everything. And I know from my history that when I get this apathetic, lash out and I become impossible to deal with and I shut myself off. It's something I've been working on and I can feel it unravelling. Which is frustrating. So then I try to be apathetic so that I'm not frustrated, and it's just this downwards spiral. And now I'm digressing"</p><p>"Always," her voice goes back to a higher tone, "the reason why I'm making is just to let everyone know what is going on." She chuckles. "I think, if I figure out when my last day is, I'll sing <em>No Good Deed</em> the way the originally wanted me to sing it before I basically forfeited every single unauthorized rift or note on the other solos to get just the best version of this song ever. Would that be cool? 'Cause like Galinda can adlib during <em>Popular</em>, but what does Elphaba do on her last day? Belt out every unauthorized note? But everyone's done that." She chuckled and rolled her eyes in tandem with a sigh. "Also, my channel content will be changing a bit too. I'll still be posting, but there's not going to be personal vlogs and stuff. I'll still do storytimes, of course, I've got some great stories from the three months I've been doing the show and I'm sure I'll get more. But I don't want to put my, uh, step-mother and her husband, in the spotlight for them to receive a lot of hate. It's not fair to them. And like I said, we are getting off on the wrong foot. Maybe once the craziness is over we'll get along or something. Who knows. But currently, the plan is just to do reviews, challenges, and covers. That sort of stuff."</p><p>The scene switched. The room was lighter and Morrighan was in a slightly better mood. Someone was painting her face green and she was in this weird transition stage. Her neck was done, but only the circle of her outer face was green "No, no, come here," she said, reaching behind her. "This is Jinny," she said, pulling a face close to hers. "I want everyone to meet Jinny because she is amazing and she saved my butt that one time I had food poisoning. And if she doesn't get to be the billed Elphaba I will riot."</p><p>"Aww, you're too sweet," Jinny said.</p><p>They were in the way of the brushed a bit but didn't care. Morrighan kissed Jinny's cheek as Jinny spoke: "I'm so honoured to take over," she began, "and a bit scared. You kill <em>No Good Deed </em>every night and that's my worst song. But it's been an honour to work with you."</p><p>"You too. And you've got a great line up for <em>Defying Gravity</em> and <em>I'm Not That Girl</em>." Morrighan turned to the camera. "She gets those low notes like it's no one business, I'm in love." She mimics fainting, clutching her chest.</p><p>They're both clingy, their arms wrapped around each other in this weird side hug, but still giving room for the make-up artist to work. "I'm going to miss you, and, in the spirit of what you said the first time I was on your channel-"</p><p>The video does a flash-back to a video Regina had seen earlier where Morrighan had said through giggles: "No offence, and I think you're very talented, but I'm hoping you never have to go on stage. Mostly because I can't fathom what would make me not perform."</p><p>"-I hope that," she swore but it was bleeped out. "I don't know." They both chuckled.</p><p>"What's going on in here?" came a voice from behind them. "Awww, Morgan," said the female voice. It was Country. She was in a blonde wig with a jewelled tiara and was wearing grey sweatpants and a nude costume corset. She gave Morrighan a hug.</p><p>"Ew," Morrighan exclaimed as the brush got in her mouth. Jinny passed her a kleenex and Morrighan pressed it to her tongue as she tilted her head at an awkward angle to allow the make-up artist to continue.</p><p>Another woman came in and started pinning Morrighan's hair.</p><p>"Okay, I need to go now," Morrighan said through giggles and the kleenex, "but um stay subbed to my channel and go see Jinny on Broadway." The three of them waved at the camera, pulling the hair and makeup people into the frame.</p><p>The video finished and nothing played after it. They had reached the end of the playlist.</p><p>Regina looked up at Robin. There was this weird feeling. They felt like they'd learned something, but neither of them could place it. They learned what she was like, but how did that help them? They could list off facts but that would not do any good. However, now at least, they had some idea what she feeling. What they'd made her leave behind.</p><p>A timer beeps from the main floor, bringing them back into the present.</p><p>"I should get that," Robin said and Regina followed him down to the kitchen, wordless.</p><p>"She doesn't hate you," Regina said finally as they set the table. "Obviously she wasn't saying everything in the video, but I think it's like she said: she's struggling with her own emotions and lashing out because we're easy. We're here and she doesn't know us."</p><p>Robin nodes. "I hate this," he hissed. "All of it. We messed up and I hate it. I wonder if we should just give up."</p><p>"No," Regina said firmly. "If we, if you, give up now, she will leave and never come back. She doesn't need us."</p><p>Robin sighed. "What if we are too late? And Zelena's won just from time."</p><p>"It wasn't too late for Emma and the Charmings," Regina said. "It can't be too late for us."</p><p>She hugged Robin but not just for him. They swayed in the silence, her head resting in the crook of his neck. Slowly, their hands drifted together and their sways turned to steps. They were dancing to their own small tune.</p><p>Neither of them noticed Morrighan watching them as she came up the walkway. She smiled when she saw them like that, normal people with problems and love. It reminded her of her mother and her father, her stepfather. How happy they were when they were married. But then she feels just how far away from them she is. She never noticed it when she was in California, probably because she did not feel that far away. It was only a day's worth of travel if the connections were good. But even though she was physically closer, the feeling that she couldn't leave made her feel further away than ever before.</p>
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<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Morrighan hummed a tune as she walked to the Pawn Shop. The way was unfamiliar, but she was certain she knew it. Either way, Morrighan was happy to be by herself, unsmothered, outside. She could close her eyes and imagine things were the way she liked them.</p><p>She pulled her sweater around her. It was chillier now than it had been earlier. She was nervous. Her mother had mentioned something in passing about Mr. Gold. And since her mother had never mentioned anyone else, Morrighan was not sure what to make of it. But her mother was not here, and she was not keen on getting deported or whatever repercussions might come of her not going along with this. Besides, she had been here for nearly a month and nothing bad had happened. She only had seven more to go.</p><p>Her gut sunk. So much could happen in seven months. Half a year ago, she would have expected herself to be celebrating one year on broadways, her 18th birthday, and the end of her contract with Wicked. And her scholarship. Now all she had was the scholarship. And her birthday. But not for the same reasons.</p><p>A lot could happen in seven months.</p><p>She made it to the shop without a problem. Small towns were small towns. Everything was on or near the main street. She had been to practically every small town in Europe. Navigating them was like second nature.</p><p>She knocked on the door.</p><p>"Come in," Mr. Gold said, opening the door with a smile.</p><p>He led her into his shop. It was a small shop with shelves and antiques everywhere. He brought her over to the counter where he had some paper sent out.</p><p>"Regina took the liberty of sending me your resume," he explained.</p><p>"Okay," Morrighan said. She did not know what else to say.</p><p>He walked to the other side of the counter and picked it up. "So, you speak multiple languages?" he asked.</p><p>Morrighan nodded. "I can forward you the certificates if want," she said.</p><p>"No no. No need," he said. "And I see that your employment record is a bit unorthodox."</p><p>"That's putting it lightly," she joked, hoping to ease the tension.</p><p>"I just want to make sure that you have the proper skills to work here," Mr. Gold said.</p><p>Morrighan straightened her posture and looked him the eyes. Had Regina seriously set her up? Getting her an interview for a job that did not exist was not going to teach her a lesson. "I got all the skills required for a retail job," she said. "People skills? Look at my ears of acting classes, or the fact that I have a fan base. Work ethic? I have been working sixteen-hour days since I was four. Do not count family employment, I did five months on Broadway, eight shows a week. Never missed a show I was scheduled to perform."</p><p>In a split second, he used his cane to knock something off a shelf. Morrighan's reflexes kicked it. She reached for it in a fluid motion, catching it in an outstretched hand. It was a glass orb. Heavier than one might expect.</p><p>"What about heavy lifting?" Mr. Gold asked. He was keeping a stern face, but Morrighan knew he was impressed. Her instincts were good. "My son usually does the heavy lifting, but when he's at school I've got no one to help me out."</p><p>"Well I can lift my own body weight with one arm," Morrighan started, "and muscle weights a lot more than people tend to think. Also, while spinning. The centrifugal force actually creates more pressure," she started, explaining how a downwards pull was easier to hold that the diagonal one created by gravity and motions of the spin. Turns out one can learn a lot of physics when it is the same that saves their lives.</p><p>"Well, that is impressive," Mr. Gold said.</p><p>It better be. Morrighan was quite sure no one in this town could lift their own weight with a fully grown adult hanging off their feet. She had left that part out though. There was no use in bragging. Her ego would not be doing her any good here. Maybe this would be a humbling experience.</p><p>"Indexing," Mr. Gold said. "How are you at indexing?"</p><p>"I use dot index merchandise after shows."</p><p>"I'll take that you can do it well. So, it's safe to assume you know how to work the tills?"</p><p>She looked over at the machine. It was older than what she was used too, but with an instruction guide, she would be fine. She told the man as such.</p><p>He nodded. "You're a good candidate."</p><p>"I know," Morrighan said. She was excellent. At almost everything she needed.</p><p>That is what happens when you work at something every day. Eventually, you become excellent. She was a sponge, soaking up everything. The circus knew children were spongers. They had had her a Lorcan everywhere, all the time. Learning aerial straps and silks, working the merchandise counters, driving as soon as they were able, writing letters, adding numbers. And that did not include school. They both graduated early. Lorcan was already in university with a small scholarship. He was in Oxford with his girlfriend. She should have just gone with them.</p><p>"You look a lot like your mom."</p><p>Morrighan did not react.</p><p>"How is she?"</p><p>"Fine," the girl muttered. It was not a lie. Zelena was fine right now. Next week, who knew. But she was fine right now. "Why?"</p><p>"I was just curious," he said.</p><p>"How do you know her?" As far as Morrighan was concerned, her mother was raised by an awful foster father until she eventually ran away. Regina had later reconnected, but it ended poorly when Regina found out she was barren and tricked Zelena into being a surrogate. She had never been to America before the North American tour with the Starlight. As far a Morrighan knew she had never left to visit a small town in Maine for the day.</p><p>"I tutored her once," he said.</p><p>Morrighan cocked an eyebrow. Did you really know her, she asked in German.</p><p>He did not reply. That was answer enough. Her mother had gone to a German school in Germany and learnt English from her British adopted father. If Mr. Gold had been her tutor, she would have known how to answer.</p><p>He seemed to catch on. "Or maybe not," he said after a moment. "You're a lot like your aunt too."</p><p>That was not what she wanted to hear.</p><p>"Okay, I'm sorry," he said.</p><p>"You don't have to apologize to me."</p><p>Mr. Gold did not reply.</p><hr/><p>Rumpelstiltskin's palms were sweaty. He knew he messed up. Morrighan looked a lot like Zelena when he had known her, but she was so vastly different. Morrighan was not naive. She did not need the Dark One the way Zelena had, not that there was a Dark One to need.</p><p>He knew Zelena was not fine, but it was better to go along with the lie. Morrighan's face did not reveal anything, but he could feel three magic around her, telling him that there was something wrong.</p><p>Morrighan's magic was odd. It radiated off her in a way that made it seem like something should be going wrong at any given time. But he could not tap into it, see the way he used too. She had to have some way of channelling it for it to be this controlled in Storybrooke. Outside, it was possible that it was not present, but here in Storybrooke, she could be a walking bomb.</p><p>And Regina had no idea. Zelena might have noticed it if she remembered anything. She had been the stronger witch.</p><p>Rumple was prepared to watch over her, to make sure nothing happened. He had to admit he was curious too. If trained, even in light magic, Morrighan would be formidable. But she had to have some sort of training, for it to be this strong, this controlled. He just did not know what, or by whom. And he was going to find out.</p><p>He showed Morrighan the bells and whistles. She caught on quickly. To her credit, she tried to seem interested, but this was a far cry from performing and travelling the world.</p><p>It was impressive that Regina and her lawyer who got his law degree from a curse had been able to argue that she was not socialized. Morrighan certainly was acting like a teenager, he could tell. She was being moody, mostly towards the Hood-Mills. Gideon had the same moods. But unlike Gideon, she had a work ethic and drive and the ability to do something she did not care about. And he had a feeling her moods were more of a show considering how quick Morrighan was to 'put on a good face' as Zelena's adopted father had once said.</p><hr/><p>Working at the Pawn Shop would not be bad. As Morrighan walked back to the house, she was glad she had found something to do to pass the time.</p><p>As she walked up the walkway, she noticed Robin and Regina dancing. She stopped, watching as they swayed, completely lost in each other.</p><p>She took a deep breath. They were not bad people. She did not hate them.</p><p>She did not like them either.</p><p>Its a reminder of her mother's wedding. Her father had even made vows to her. He promised to protect her, and paint her nails, and love her mother forever. And the three of them danced together. But when she got drowsy and was falling asleep on a bench, she looked out on a dance floor, where no one was left but her mother and her husband, slow dancing and staring into each other's eyes.</p><p>Morrighan had known Mattias all her life, but she had never seen him as her father until then. Now that she was older, she could see just how present he had been. He had pulled out her loose teeth, cheered when she learnt how to ride a bike. He had been there whenever her mother was not and beside her mother when she was.</p><p>Morrighan was not ready to replace that. Robin had never been there. He had never bothered to be there. Mattias had. And Mattias was still there. He still texted her, made sure she was okay on days when she did not want to talk to Zelena.</p><p>He reassured her that this was good for her, that she should get to know her real father. Morrighan could see the pain in his eyes when he said so.</p><p>They had fought before she left. It had been ugly, but that felt like so long ago. Now she just wanted to curl up in between her mother and father just like when she was little.</p><p>Morrighan wiped her eyes to make she was not crying. Then she opened the door. She put on a good face and smiled, telling Regina that everything went well, and she would start on Monday. She ate supper like a good little girl, then retired to her room where she continued to work on Country's wedding dress.</p><p> </p>
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<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Regina cleared the table after supper. She washed the dishes with Robin. They were quiet save for the clamouring of plates and utensils. </p><p>The romantic mood had not fully left when Morrighan had walked through the door, though the kid had certainly stifled it. She was walking on eggshells, holding in bated breath.</p><p>As she was drying, Robin came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He kissed her neck and she inhaled sharply, her hands going behind her to his head, finger running through his hair, pulling him closer. </p><p>She turned to face him, planting a kiss on his lips. He kissed her back, pushing her into the counter.</p><p>Regina moaned. Just the feeling for his body pressed against her was enough. The way his tongue moved in her mouth made her weak.</p><p>"I love you," she gasped between kisses. She pulled him closer.</p><p>She loved being in his arms. She loved being loved by him. She loved him. The man with the dragon tattoo.</p><p>"I love you too," Robin replied.</p><p>Regina rested her head on his neck. "We have a kid in the house again," she said with a chuckle. </p><p>"Yeah, we do," Robin said, still holding her against him. She could feel his breath on her skin and it made her hair stand on end.</p><p>"What are we doing?" she asked. She wasn't being specific. What are they doing right now? What are they doing, period? What are they doing?</p><p>"I have no idea," he replied. Answering them all at the same time.</p><p>"Me too."</p><p>They stood together for a while. There was nothing else to do. There wasn't much else they wanted to do.</p><p>"I'll go check on Morrighan," Regina said eventually. </p><p>The house was just as quiet with her in it as it had been with her out of it. She was not a loud kid, nor the type to take up a room. Well, not when they were around. She had an inner attention hog. Karaoke had shown it to them, her videos proved it. She loved performing. More than anything.</p><p>Regina walked up the stairs. She got close to Morrighan room when she could hear her talking in German. She needed to learn German, she realized. It was so dumb that she expected Morrighna to always speak in English when it was her third language. German would be Regina's second.</p><p>She knocked on the open door. Morrighan was laying on her bed, her head hanging upside down off the side and her hair sprawled on the floor. She was holding her phone up in front of her face and had her earbuds in.</p><p>She looked over and waved, then replied to what whomever she was talking too had said.</p><p>"Who is it," Regina asked. </p><p>She pulled her earbuds out of the port and turned it towards Regina upside down. She was talking to her mom.</p><p>"Hi Regina," Zelena said.</p><p>"Hi," Regina said. "Uh, how are you?"</p><p>"Well." </p><p>"Good."</p><p>Somehow Regina had walked closer.</p><p>There was an awkward silence.</p><p>"Want to join us?" Zelena asked, breaking it.</p><p>Regina stood there, stunned for a moment. "Yeah," she said. She really did. </p><p>"I'm not moving," Morrighan said, gesturing for Regina to come where she was.</p><p>It was disorienting, for a moment, but then her eye focused back on the phone Morrighan was holding in front of them and on Zelena who was saying in front of some tiles. Either kitchen or bathroom. She was not sure.</p><p>There was another quiet pause before Zelena said: "So, I've been trying to convince Morrighan to ask her crush out and since you're going to have to deal with the fallout, I want to give you a heads-up."</p><p>"I do not have a crush," Morrighan replied. She turned to Regina. "I said <em>once</em>, two years ago, that I thought some guy was cute and now she won't shut up about it."</p><p>"He's not dating anyone," Zelena said.</p><p>"No," replied Morrighan. </p><p>Regina was silent. She was suddenly, suddenly, just there, in the family. Was this what it was like to have a mom with a heart? No secrets, teasing? She could not imagine Cora teasing her about a crush on Daniel.</p><p>"You're in denial because you like him," Zelena teased. "Regina, who's side are you on? Miserable or true love?"</p><p>"Mom," Morrighan said, then muttered something in German. </p><p>"That's not very polite," Zelena said. "Not everyone knows what you're saying."</p><p>Morrighan said something else in German that definitely was not polite. </p><p>"You're encouraging her to date people?" Regina said. "When Henry and Roland where her age, we did not want them anywhere near girls."</p><p>"She's on my side mom," Morrighan said cheekily.</p><p>"Not so fast," Regina said. "Is he nice?" she asked Zelena.</p><p>Zelena nodded. "He knows her favourite flower, colour, pastille, animal, and he's very nice. Did I miss something?" He knew more about her than Regina did. What was a pastille?</p><p>"How do you know that?" Morrighan asked.</p><p>"I have a spy," Zelena teased.</p><p>Morrighan gasped. "You are no longer allowed to mom-friends with ex-Elphabas," Morrighan said. </p><p>"Aww," replied Zelena in disappointment.</p><p>Regina found herself using with Zelena. What was the harm in Morrighan having a crush? She seemed level headed enough not to do anything stupid. And it certainly wasn't anyone in Storybrooke if she met him two years ago. </p><p>That was not something she ever thought she would be saying. 'True love' had struck something in her.  While a teenage crush wasn't necessarily true love, who knew. Morrighan was a descendent of fairytale characters. She was good. That often led to a very eventful love life full of true love.</p><p>She remembered when Tinkerbell gave her chance to meet Robin early. There was nothing saying this boy, whoever he was, was the one for Morrighan, but shouldn't she have a chance?</p><p>"You should ask him out," Regina said, surprising herself.</p><p>"I don't like him like that," Morrighan said. "And he's a stranger, remember?"</p><p>Zelena rolled her eyes. "Denial."</p><p>"Supposedly, if I did like him, how am I supposed to ask him out all the way over here?"</p><p>This was going south, fast. </p><p>No one said anything. The fragile bubble had been poped. Morrighan had not meant to do it. She was safe in the bubble. But Regina struck a nerve. She was separate from those she loved. Her mom, her dad, her siblings her friends, the cute guy. Stuck with the two people she did not want anything to do with. </p><p>Regina knew it too. Regina had tried to force those types of fates on people all the time when she had been the Evil Queen. Forcing those she hated to live fates worse than death, separated from those she loved. She had spent so much time caught up on whether or no Morrighan would turn out like someone she did not even know existed that Regina had not realized she was the one reverting. </p><p>"Maybe you should invite him over," Regina offered.</p><p>"He's busy," she said.</p><p>"You should ask."</p><p>"He's busy."</p><p>"What if you went to visit him?" Zelena suggested.</p><p>"Why are you helping?" Regina snapped, then instantly regretted it.</p><p>"Because I care about my daughter," Zelena said. "The two of you need to figure out how to get along." Why was Zelena pushing this? It was the last thing Zelena would do. No, it was the last thing the old Zelena would do. This new one? She was a stranger. One who was loving and caring and who Regina had hurt beyond mention. And Zelena was still trying to help her.</p><p>Morrighan said something in German again, sparking a short, heated conversation that made Morrighan visibly upset.</p><p>"<em>Sag das nicht</em>," she said. "<em>Ich mag es nicht</em>."</p><p>Regina knew a few words. Morrighan did not like whatever her mother had just said.</p><p>Zelena seemed distressed too. Something had happened right in front of her and Regina had no idea what. She should know what. Mothers knew what. She was not Morrighan mother. And Robin would not have known either, because he was not her father in spirit, only blood.</p><p>"Look, Regina," Zelena started, "you know about my health, it's not going well and-"</p><p>Morrighan cut her off. "I'm not replacing you."</p><p>"I'm not asking you too, sweetie," Zelena said. "It's like that Barbie Island movie, what she said to the elephant. You're not replacing anyone, you're making your circle bigger." She looked at Regina. "I want her to have people if the worse-"</p><p>"It won't."</p><p>"Please let me finish. I want you two, you three, to work through this. Morgan, I've already told you this. Yes, I was against it initially, but you will understand one day. And connections in America can't be bad."</p><p>There was a commotion behind the phone and a child-voice asked for "Mutter". </p><p>Zelena picked up a child. "Say hi to Morgan," she said to the child, kissing his head.</p><p>The blonde-haired boy looked at the phone and waved a chubby hand.</p><p>"<em>Allo Morgan</em>," the boy said. </p><p>"<em>Guten Abend Tobby</em>," Morrighan said that voice everyone had reserved for young children.</p><p>"<em>Guten Abend</em>," he echoed. </p><p>"English," Zelena prompted. </p><p>"Hello."</p><p>"French."</p><p>"<em>Bonsoir</em>."</p><p>"You're getting so good!" Morrighan exclaimed. "<em>Russisch</em>?" the kid shook his head. "<em>Nein, </em><em>schade. Nächstes Mal.</em>"</p><p>"Want to tell Regina how old you are?" Zelena asked the kid. He shook his head. "He's tired," she explained, making faces at the kid. "He's five," she said, even though Regina had not asked.</p><p>She remembered when Henry was five.</p><p>"I have to go." Some more kids came into the room, around ten and thirteen. The elder was a girl. They looked nothing like Morrighan or Zelena.</p><p>"Hi Morgan," the ten-year-old said.</p><p>Morrighan smiled. "Hey, monkey."</p><p>"I'm not a monkey." He crossed his arms.  "You're a monkey."</p><p>"I am a monkey. How's Elsie doing?"</p><p>The girl glared at her.</p><p>"She being a teenager," the ten-year-old said, drawing out the last word. He had an accent similar to Morrighan's though it lacked the hint of Russian and was a bit more French.</p><p>"Well, Elsie, I'm a teenager too so we can be moody teenagers together."</p><p>"That not fair!" the boy exclaimed, too loudly.</p><p>"Why are you up?" Morrighan asked.</p><p>He gave her a mischievous smile but did not say anything.</p><p>"They're not going to be up for long," Zelena said.</p><p>"What are you doing up?' The ten-year-old asked.</p><p>"It's only seven here," she replied.</p><p>"That's not fair," he said again. </p><p>Morrighan stuck out her tongue. "Life's not fair, learn to deal with it."</p><p>He glared at her, contorting his entire face. The five-year-old, Tobby, began to fuss. A male voice arose in the distance and the older kids were swept away, presumably by Zelena's husband Mattias.</p><p>He came back to take Tobby and say hi to them. He kissed Zelena's temple, but it was more out of habit than trying to show off. They loved each other, fiercely. </p><p>Regina could have had a family like this if she'd gone with Robin. She could be Zelena, running around the country with children and a man who loved her.</p><p>Tobby started to suck on this thumb. </p><p>"By mom," Morrighan said. Then she said something in German that she clearly did not want Regina to know.</p><p>The four of them all said goodbye again. Then Zelena hung up.</p><p>Regina stayed there, upside down on the bed. She did not know what to say. Maybe it was all the blood rushing to her brain. Regina turned to Morrighan, unsure what to say.</p><p>She thought about she felt losing Cora. How would she have felt if she'd known? Watched Cora deteriorate over the years, had to worry about how younger siblings would deal with it? No wonder Morrighan ran away to Califonia. </p><p>But then, Regina realized, maybe she had not run away. She had no idea what happened, how recently the sickness was. She did not even know what was wrong. Zelena could have been well when Morrighan left or faking it so that Morrighan would leave for whatever amazing opportunity Morrighan was not allowed to talk about. Even if the secret project was not amazing, Broadway was. </p><p>Regina had done some googling. Elphaba was one of the hardest roles. There was practically no upwards trajectory. Morrighan had peaked. Yet it felt like she was just beginning, and then she crashed and ended up in Storybrooke. No wonder she was mad. </p><p>Maybe Regina had not left the Evil Queen behind.</p>
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<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Regina laid there, staring at the ceiling for several minutes. "I'm sorry about Zelena," she said, breaking the silence. "We never got along and I never knew her as you did, but if there's anything I can do, please let me know."</p><p>"It's not your fault," Morrighan said. "It's no one's fault. And that's what makes it suck so much."</p><p>"We have," she started. "In Storybrooke, we do have a therapist. Doctor Hopper. If you ever wanted to talk to someone privately about this or anything else. He's across from Granny's. I'll send some money to his office so if you want to go without telling me you can."</p><p>Morrighan was silent for a second. "Okay," she said. Nothing more.</p><p>"What happened between the three of you?" Morrighan asked. "I know some of it, but I also know there are things your not telling me."</p><p>Regina sighed. "It's not pretty."</p><p>"I don't care," she replied. "I want to know what happened. Do you really think I don't notice the way people whisper around me? I know it's not pretty. I know my mom made some bad choices. I just want to know what happened. Please."</p><p>"I'll talk to Robin," Regina said. "Come meet us downstairs?"</p><p>"Okay," she agreed.</p><p>Regina got up and went downstairs, finding Robin and telling him: "She wants to know what happened."</p><p>"What?" he asked.</p><p>"Morrighan. I was talking with her and Zelena upstairs, and Morrighan wants to know what happened."</p><p>Robin gave her a questioning look.</p><p>"She was talking with Zelena when I went up. Zelena asked me to join them so I did," she explained. "I think Zelena is trying to make amends or something and whatever is wrong is definitely getting to her, but that's not really the point. When the call was over Morrighan asked what happened. I said we'd explain it ina few minutes."</p><p>"What does she know?" he asked, concerned.</p><p>"I have no more of an idea than you," the queen replied. "But we should tell her something."</p><p>"I don't want to lie to my daughter," Robin said.</p><p>"We've been lying since she was conceived," Regina pointed out.</p><p>Robin sighed. "It's true. We should start with that. Everyone is at fault. Of course Zelena would have wanted to keep the child. We were basically sentencing her to the life we had, only she had to live with the knowledge that there was a child out there and she would have no one to help her through it."</p><p>Regina agreed. "Maybe she'll tell us what Zelena told her. We can keep our side as close to the truth as possible, as long as it doesn't conflict with her view."</p><p>"This isn't right."</p><p>"Do you have a better idea?"</p><p>"No," he admitted in defeat. "I don't. Why can't we just tell her about magic?"</p><p>"And then what?" Regina asked. "Keep her here forever? She idolizes Zelena. This would crush her. And what if she gives this place away to spite us, or are we going to keep her here forever? Like it or not, seven months from now she will leave here. We've got these seven months to make sure there's something worth coming back too. I highly doubt a town that hates her mother's guts will be high on that list. She had a good life outside. A great one. Whatever it may have been, Zelena is a good mother. She has something to go back to, something normal. It took Emma a long time to feel like she belonged and did not have to run away. And Morrighan has much more out there than Emma ever did. And she also has a whole lot less here."</p><p>Robin sighed, running his hands through his hair in frustration. "This is insane. Zelena is the villain. I don't care if you cursed her and redeemed her personality, she still did all that stuff. This new one might not deserve to be punished for it, but it does not change what she did. What she did to us, Regina. And now we're protecting her. For what?"</p><p>"For Morrighan," Regina reminded him, taking his hands in hers. "She only knows this new Zelena."</p><p>"And now we're the bad guys?"</p><p>"No," Regina said, surprising herself. "That's the fairy tale world. Here, there are no good and bad guys. Only morally grey people. This is the world she lives in. No one is pure of heart or wicked to the core. There's no magic, no corrupting evil, only bad choices and bad influences. Here, we are just a group of people who made some bad choices for seemingly the right reasons. Somehow, things worked out pretty well."</p><p>"How is all this 'pretty well'?"</p><p>"Robin, your daughter is amazing. We barely know her, but I can see it. She's moody but kind. She's understanding and a bit short-tempered. She had talent. So much of it. It's practically overflowing, like..." she trailed off.</p><p>"Like what?"</p><p>"Like magic," Regina said. "Like magic." She paused. "I wonder, you didn't see anything strange at Granny's when she sang did you?"</p><p>"No," he said. "What are you getting at?"</p><p>"Nothing," Regina said, "it's silly."</p><p>"No, it's not. Tell me."</p><p>"It's just something Rumple said when he was teaching me magic. About how it can manifest in certain ways. Not necessarily raw power. It still needs to be trained and harnessed and focused, but it can manifest differently in people." </p><p>"So you're saying she doesn't have talent? Just magic making her good."</p><p>"No." Regina thought for a moment. "She would have to have a talent for this to work. And I have no proof of this. I haven't seen or felt anything magical form her. However, it's possible that's she learnt, whether accidentally, how to harness her own kind of magic through performing."</p><p>"And this helps us how?"</p><p>"It doesn't. But we can understand her better."</p><p>"I'm lost."</p><p>"I'll talk to Gold about it, I'm sure he'll have some idea. But right now we need to focus on what is right in front of us."</p><p>He finally gave in. </p><p>Regina called Morrighan down. They sat down opposite each other in the living room, Morrighan with her arms crossed, leaned back in the chair.</p><p>"We will tell you what you want to know," Robin said. Regina squeezed his hand in encouragement.</p>
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<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Chapter 14</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They called Morrighan downstairs and sat down in the living room on opposites sides of the center coffee table.</p><p>"We were wondering what you know," Robin said. </p><p>Regina gave his hand an encouraging squeeze. She knew this was hard for him. On the bright side, Morrighan might actually talk to him, instead of around him. </p><p>Morrighan started slowly, her voice soft. "I know that Regina was having issues conceiving, and my mom offered to be a surrogate," she began. "And that she agreed not to have any contact at first, but wanted it changed afterwards. And that did not happen. And then there were twins but no one knew, and my older sister was born dead. And then you guys left and never knew I existed until that TV interview."</p><p>Robin nodded. It wasn't as vile as they had feared. Regina instantly wondered if Zelena had sugar-coated it for Morrighan, thinking back to what she'd told them earlier. Why would she do that for them? Why wouldn't she? They had no idea who she was.</p><p>"There's not much more to say," Robin said. Better not to intent something new. Just stick to the curse's facts.</p><p>"But there is," Morrighna argued. "Something your not telling me. I'm not deaf, I can hear what people whisper around me."</p><p>What did people whisper around her? Regina was going to have a very strict talk with everyone next town meeting.</p><p>"Sometime's that just it," Regina said.</p><p>"It doesn't make any sense. How did you guys meet? How come everyone in the town knows my mom? She never mentioned coming here ever."</p><p>"It's a small town," Regina said, "things get out, people talk."</p><p>She wasn't buying it.</p><p>Regina did not know what else to say. Had she and Zelena grown up together? It didn't make much sense. Zelena's Ozian accent was pretty British, not to mention the hints of German. Maybe in her mind, they'd grown up in Europe and her and Robin had fled here after everything. Or maybe she'd grown up orphaned and alone, as their Zelena had, tracked them down, reached out, and they'd used her. There was no way to know unless Morrighan tipped them off. </p><p>It was probably the latter. It made sense. Regina's spell seemed to have kept things as close to reality as possible. </p><p>Robin spoke next. "It was messy and everyone was to blame," he said. "But there's no big secret, just a lot of hard feelings."</p><p>Morrighan was quiet for a moment, contemplating what she'd just heard. "That's all?" she asked.</p><p>"Yes," Robin said. "And I know it's probably not what you want to hear, but that's it. It's life. Sometimes everyone sucks. But I want to make it up to you," he continued, now that she was finally listening to him. "If you'll let me," he adds.</p><p>Morrighan nodded after a second. "Okay," she said, still considering. Then she extends a hand.</p><p>Her and Robin shake.</p><p> </p>
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<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Chapter 15</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Monday morning rolled around. Morrighan was in much better spirits. She made small talk with the Hoods during breakfast before she left for the pawnshop and they planned to celebrate at Granny's when she returned that evening. </p><p>Regina got back form a town meeting around one o'clock. When she came through the door, she heard Robin muttering to himself, frustrated.</p><p>"What are you doing?" she asked.</p><p>"Trying to learn German," he said. "She speaks to us in her third language and we can't even be bothered to learn a second."</p><p>Regina walked over to where he had Duolingo opened on the laptop. "Have you considered asking her for help?" she asked.</p><p>"But," he argued.</p><p>"No," Regina said. She closed the laptop. "Ask her for help. She's talking to you now. Bond."</p><p>"I'm horrible at it," he said.</p><p>"And you can get better," Regina said. "I'll do this with you. Besides, she's not looking for you to be an all-perfect hero. She wants you to be a person. People are flawed."</p><p>"How can you be so certain?"</p><p>"She's a teenage girl. You've never been a teenage girl."</p><p>"True," Robin said. </p><p>"So, I was thinking," Regina started. "What if I could find a way to help Zelena?"</p><p>"Hm?"</p><p>"Magic. Find a way to cure her with magic."</p><p>"Go on," said Robin.</p><p>"Morrighan said the doctors couldn't find anything, but if we could find a way to get Zelena here, we could fix it with magic."</p><p>"What happens if she leaves Storybrooke?"</p><p>"Nothing. Magic may not work out there, but spells still hold."</p><p>"How do we get Zelena here?" </p><p>"That's the issue, I have no idea. I don't know where to start," she explained. "If Zelena was here in Storybrooke, it would be pretty easy to just fix whatever is wrong, but since I highly doubt that's going to happen, I need to get something to her. But I don't know what, or how. I was thinking of talking to Rumple, but I'm not sure."</p><p>"I'm not keen on going to Gold about this," Robin said. "I think he's still a bit bitter about Neil. I don't think he's going to do anything to Morrighan, but I don't see him being very inclined to save Zelena."</p><p>"We could ask Belle to research spells, at least," Regina said. "I'm pretty sure she won't mind helping."</p><p>"Maybe," Robin said. "We need to be careful. This is a powder keg. People are fine with Morrighan right now. However, I don't think that they are going to be keen on saving Zelena."</p><p>"They got over me," she said.</p><p>"That's different."</p><p>"How? I cast a curse, got Henry, found something worth changing for, and changed."</p><p>"Zelena didn't change," Robin said. "And you two aren't the same people. I'm not saying that we shouldn't try, I'm just saying that we have to tread carefully."</p><p>"I agree," said Regina, "now," she turned to the computer screen. "I sincerely think you should ask Morgan for some German help. I don't think you'll be conversing much by asking her if she likes red berries in her car," she joked, reading the line from the site.</p><p>Robin blushed. "It's meant to teach <em>vocabulary</em>," he said. "Car is <em>Auto</em> and berries is <em>Beeren</em>."</p><p>"You're right, you do need help," Regina teased. "Your accent is atrocious."</p><p>"Why do I get the feeling yours is just as bad?" he asked.</p><p>"It is not!" Regina said, then attempting to read the line.</p><p>"You're right," Robin said. "It's worse. Much worse. More badder." Regina snorted.</p><p>They were consumed by their fits of giggling. </p><p>"More badder," Regina echoed through snorts. "That's not even proper English. I haven't heard anyone who isn't two say that."</p><p>"Well, now I've said it. What are you going to do about it, Your Majesty?" He tickled her.</p><p>"Stop," whined Regina. "I can barely breathe."</p><p>He arched an eyebrow. "Is that so?"</p><p>"Yes, stop!" she shrieked with laughter. </p><p>"If you insist." He stopped, but not without a devilish grin. "I love you, you know."</p><p>"Could have fooled me," Regina said, regaining her composure. Her face was red and adorable. She couldn't help grinning. "I love you too." Her hand subconsciously went to the lion tattoo on his forearm, the symbol that Tinkerbell had used to identify him as her soulmate. </p><p>"For the record, saving Zelena is the right thing to do," her soulmate said, taking her hands in his. "The noble and honourable thing. The good thing."</p><p>"Now you really sound like Snow."</p><p>"I told you, she's smart."</p><p>"And that's why I'm going to help you. We have to be in this together."</p><p>"All the way," Regina said.</p><p>"All the way," he agreed. </p>
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<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Chapter 16</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Morrighan's phone buzzed ash she walked to the Pawn Shop. There was a text from Rachel Tucker.</p><p>
  <em>How are you?</em>
</p><p><em>Sellout</em>, she texted back.</p><p>
  <em>??</em>
</p><p>
  <em>U told my mom Tony has a crush on me.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Did not</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Did too</em>
</p><p>
  <em>What are you listening to?</em>
</p><p>She rolled her eyes. <em>Your album's okay.</em></p><p>
  <em>Just ok?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Just ok.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Whatcha up to</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Walking to my job.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>oh, spill</em>
</p><p>
  <em>pawn shop, uninteresting</em>
</p><p>
  <em>you've come down in the world</em>
</p><p>
  <em>shut up</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Honestly tho, how r u?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Well. Things are getting better</em>
</p><p>
  <em>good! :P</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I still sign your headshot btw</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Morrighan Westenddddd</em>
</p><p>
  <em>If anyone in the town has ur headshots stashed <br/>somewhere, cross my heart ill write 'Tucker with a F' just for you &lt;3</em>
</p><p>
  <em>TUCKER WITH A T!!!!!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>:") :")</em>
</p><p>
  <em>'cause f goes.... </em>
</p><p>
  <em>i know XD it was your idea</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I'm just teasing, god lighten up.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I know i'm teasing 2 squish</em>
</p><p>
  <em>stop calling me that</em>
</p><p>
  <em>never, it's your fault. Next time when u put a number in someone's <br/>phone, write ur name like a normal person</em>
</p><p>
  <em>HUFF</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Tell Ben I said hi! im almost there, have 2 go soon</em>
</p><p><em>facetime and tell him urself sometime</em>. <em>I'm very<br/> glad to hear you're feeling better tho</em></p><p>
  <em>thanx</em>
</p><p>
  <em>And Country and Anthony are glad you're talking to them</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I've been talking to them since week three.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>If you need to run away, you can come to london and<br/> hide in my house. I need a babysitter.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>So does my mom lol</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I was thinking it would be nice is Benjamin and Tobias <br/>got to visit face to face, do you think now would be a<br/>good time to bring it up?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I dunno, ur mom's bestie. I think Tobby would like that.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Honestly though I dont think theyll be a better time. No<br/>tours and mom's been feeling pretty well. Probs the meds tho.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>New drug?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Yup.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Drat</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I know</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I'm at the door, talk to you later. Break a leg tonight!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>You too, or whenever you say to pawn shop clerk</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Good luck</em>
</p><p>
  <em>You'll jinx me!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>No, say good luck to me</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Good luck Morrie</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I hate you</em>
</p><p>
  <em>&lt;3 &lt;3 &lt;3</em>
</p><p>Morrighan turned the screen off and slipped the phone into her pocket. The sign on the door said closed, but Mr. Gold had told her that it would be unlocked. She took a deep breath and let herself in.</p><p>"Good morning!" her employer said as she walked in. His wife was going over some catalogues on the counter while he was polishing some knickknacks.</p><p>"Good morning," she echoed with a cheery disposition. If she hadn't already been in a good mood, joking with Rachel had put her into one.</p><p>"For today," Mr. Gold began, giving her rundown od the shop and informing her of her duties. "Also," he concluded. "We also make some health tonics." His wife looked up. "My hands are a bit shaky, so I was wondering if you mix any orders we get in today."</p><p>"Like crystal healing?" Morrighan asked, trying not to be judgemental. If she knew anything, it was that those were a big hoax. Every crystal healer on the planet messaged her saying they had the cure for her mom when one of Zelena's stalkers had leaked that she'd been going to the hospital regularly.</p><p>"No, no," the man said. "It's proper herbs and stuff. No hoax. I tell people it's like that, because its what they want to hear, and you have to chant while preparing them, just in case people are spying, but it's nothing dangerous."</p><p>"You don't have to if you don't want to," his wife said. "We talked about this Rumple, don't scare the kid."</p><p>Rumple. Such an odd nickname.</p><p>"I just want to test something out," he argued. "I've got a theory that no one will tell the difference if you make them."</p><p>"Oh," she asked, intrigued.</p><p>"So just follow the recipes and chant the rhymes. See what happens."</p><p>There was something else going on here, Morrighan was sure of it. Something was telling her she should get out, but she was in to deep now. Regina had warned her that Mr. Gold was a bit off, might ask for some out of the box stuff. She hadn't thought herbal tonics would be it.</p><p>But it wouldn't kill her. And maybe she'd learn something. Theoretically, this was based on science, or at least trial and error.</p><p>She started by polishing the outer shelves. It was quiet. No one came by.</p><p>"You know," his wife said after a while. "You could put some of your music on if you don't like the silence."</p><p>"She doesn't have to Belle," Mr. Gold said.</p><p>"It's fine," Morrighan replied. "Besides, I'm not sure what I'm in to will fit the mood."</p><p>"I'll be the judge of that," Mrs. Gold said. "There a stereo just back there, you can plug your phone in. Besides, I want to know what you kids are into these days."Morrighan walked over and plugged her phone in. She didn't have a lot in English when it came to it. And even then it was mostly musical theatre cover. The entire Wicked album, of course, in multiple languages, Rachel's albums, and practically everything by Shoshana Bean. Though she'd liked Bean since she'd first heard <em>Superhero</em> and had been floored when she found out that Bean had once been Elphaba. There were a few other English songs form the radio, but none in a sole playlist or enough to play without them getting repetitive.</p><p>She just decided to put Sho on anyways, and set it to play through all her songs, starting with her first Album. She also set it to mix on some other music. She didn't mind Rachel's voice as much as she said she did. </p><p>"I don't have much that isn't from musical theatre stars," she warned. "Even the artists I liked before I was into theatre did musical theatre. So the vocals are kind of everywhere."</p><p>"Gideon listens to that stuff," Belle said. "Always has Idina Menzel playing."</p><p>"Not to be mean or anything," Morrighan said, "but her albums are a bit more pop and mainstream. I wouldn't really count that if it's her albums. OB cast recordings count though. She's a great performer though, and nice in person which is always great."</p><p>"You've met her?"</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>"You'll have to tell Gideon," she said. "Nothing ever comes out here, so never get to go to shows and stuff."</p><p>"Tell me about it," Morrighan said with a laugh, "I never got to see shows till I was in LA. 'Cause when you're touring, you're the main attraction and there's no time to travel to the next city over for a show."</p><p>'What's that like," she asked, "travelling around the world."</p><p>"Amazing. I don't get to see as much as I want to, but I still get to see more than most people."</p><p>"When Gideon goes off to university, I'm planning on going across Europe. I've always to travel. Gold can come if he wants, but I'm leaving him here is he doesn't." She chuckled. She had a nice smile.</p><p>Morrighan just shrugged and went back to polishing the shelves. She looked over at Mr. Gold, who seemed not to be the biggest fan of Shoshana's vocals. However, she could see him tapping along as <em>Good Enough</em> came on and by<em> Come to Me</em>, she was pretty sure his objections were gone.</p><hr/><p>Rumplestiltskin watched Morrighan closely. She was a hard worker. If this had been the Enchanted Forest, he would have taken her on as a magic student instantly. Even if magic had not come easily to her, he was pretty certain she would have picked it up quickly. She was clearly determined to do a good job even if she was not happy about it. But she was professional and did not let it show. Rumple just knew, from everything Regina had said and from having a teen himself. </p><p>Was it wrong to keep comparing her to Gideon? He hoped he was doing right by his son, but he had no idea. If Zelena could raise a half-decent human, he could too. And Gideon was more than half-decent if a bit self-absorbed and unrealistically ambitious. </p><p>One of the dwarves came into the shop, looking for a tonic for Sleepy. He couldn't do magic anymore, that was true, but magical ingredients were still magical. There were many spells non-magical people could make if they had the right materials. And Gold had the right materials.</p><p>He asked Morrighan to do it. He was curious about the results. If someone magical prepared it, it would be a bit more stable than if he did it. Besides, he hadn't been lying about his hands. He was getting old.</p><p>She did it all without question, and the result was exactly what he had hoped for. The girl had magic potential, and a lot of it. And somehow, it was controlled. He would have to figure out how. Just in case it wasn't. </p><p>If she was hanging around Gideon, he wanted to make sure she wasn't a walking magical pressure bomb.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Chapter 17</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Gideon walked into his father's shop and was suddenly taken aback by a cover of Waving Through a Window that was playing. He walked to the back of the shop and froze when he saw red ombre hair trailing down the back of a girl.</p><p>"What are you doing here?" he asked.</p><p>Morrighan turned around. "Your dad hired me," she replied with a calm face and her interesting accent.</p><p>"Oh," replied Gideon. "Sorry, I was just shocked. I knew he was looking for extra help, but I didn't think it was the mayor's niece."</p><p>Morrighan shrugged and turned back to her task. Gideon walked over and found that she was counting up the bills and balancing the books and taking stock notes.</p><p>"I always hated doing that," he said. </p><p>"I did it for the circus as part of my Math class." She always had the most interesting things to say. "They always took a more realistic approach to schooling.  You can actually learn a lot about physics when it's saving your life every day."</p><p>"I wish Storybrooke High were like that," he complained. "I'm so over calculating problems that involve Jimmy and a hundred watermelons."</p><p>"I guess he's your version of Dieter and his collection of lederhosen," she said.</p><p>"When are you here until?" he asked.</p><p>"Five," she replied.</p><p>"What needs to be done?"</p><p>"This is the last thing I've been told to do," she said. "I'd assume you have a better idea of what needs to be done every day than I do."</p><p>"May I ask you a question?" he asked, leaning back against one of the many benches. </p><p>"I guess that depends on the question," she replied.</p><p>"Could we hang out more?"</p><p>"Why?"</p><p>"Well, to be honest," he started scratching his head nervously, "I've known all these people my entire life and it's pretty boring here in Storybrooke. And you've been all over the world. Done a lot of the things I hope to do someday. I was hoping maybe you would have some tips for me or something?"</p><p>"So like a mentor situation?"</p><p>"Well, I was hoping more like friends. I overheard Mary-Margaret talking to David while I was hanging out with Neil one time," he continued, "and they seem to think Regina's worried because you don't have any."</p><p>"All my friends are elsewhere. I've got a couple in New York and Oxford, a few acquaintances around London and France, and a pen pal in Quebec."</p><p>"And you're literally the only person I know who's been to all those places," Gideon said. "It's fine if you don't want to, I was just hoping I guess."</p><p>"You know," she said, turning around, "sure." She shrugged. "I'm stuck here till my eighteenth birthday, I might as well enjoy it." She extended a hand.</p><p>They shook on it.</p><p>"So, friend," Gideon started, turning with her to face the paper and taking a stack of them for himself. "How do you feel about hanging out after this?"</p><p>"Can't, I promised Regina I would go to supper with her at Granny's," she replied. "Maybe tomorrow though."</p><p>"What if we grabbed some ice cream? There's a shop right next to here."</p><p>"Not a huge ice cream fan," she replied.</p><p>"Really?" he asked in shock.</p><p>"Yeah," Morrighan explained. "I was on a no sugar diet until I was ten, then I went to an all you can eat ice cream bar and puked my guts out."</p><p>Gideon chuckled. "I think that was all the candy topping, not the frozen treat. You should try some plain vanilla soft serve."</p><p>"You know dairy's bad for the voice," she said.</p><p>"I've seen you drink a full glass of milk at Granny's," he accuses.</p><p>"It's not like I'm on Broadway right now," she said slyly. "And besides, a little dairy her and there is fine if you know what you're doing."</p><p>"And you do?"</p><p>"I've been performing since I was three. I know what I'm doing."</p><p>The song changed and Morrighan started mouthing the lyrics as the chorus started.</p><p>"Dad really let you put your own music up?" he asked. "he never lets me touch the stereo."</p><p>"it was you mother's idea."</p><p>Gideon rolled his eyes. "Of course it was. She's got just as much wanderlust as I do. Probably wanted to get on your good side for all the travel tips. Did she tell you about how-"</p><p>"She wants to travel Europe once you graduate," Morrighan finished, "yeah, she did."</p><p>"Forgive me if I'm being a bit frank, but where did your name come from?"</p><p>"My mom chose it."</p><p>"I gathered that."</p><p>She chuckled. "I wasn't finished. Morrighan is some Celtic warrior goddess or something. Morgan isn't an actual nickname for it. It's German though, means morning. I just used to write that as my name in videogames because they were locked at six characters and the letters were pretty close and eventually, everyone adopted it as a nickname."</p><p>"Can I call you Morgan?"</p><p>"I don't care. It's my name either way. Call me Morrie though and I will kill you in your sleep."</p><p>He looked her up and down. "I believe you. Storybrooke doesn't have a gym, how do you keep up?"</p><p>"I go jogging in the morning. Then I do some basic stretches. Throughout the day I do home workouts like squats and that sort of stuff."</p><p>"I hate all that."</p><p>"I've never lived without it. "</p><p>"I'd guess not."</p><p>They continued in silence for a while. Mr. Gold came in near five to check on the progress. Working together, the two of them were already done and in the process of double-checking everything. </p><p>Gideon offered to walk her back to her house and she accepted. He grilled her on everything from the languages she spoke (she was certified in seven total, one of them being BSL. Five were first language certifications and two were second, though she wanted to get them upgraded in University). She was going to university in Germany in an arts &amp; science double masters. Gideon hadn't even though of looking for programs like that when he'd been applying. He'd gone straight for NYU.</p><p>"Woes of a small town," Morrighan lamented.</p><p>"Yeah," Gideon agreed. "Now I'm wondering what I missed out on."</p><p>"Well, in Germany the semesters are on a different schedule so you could apply for international programs there."</p><p>"I don't speak German."</p><p>"There are English ones."</p><p>"My dad would hate it."</p><p>She shrugged. "I moved across the Atlantic when I was fifteen. I'm sure you can do it at eighteen."</p><p>"Your mom let you?"</p><p>"She cried, but the opportunities were worth it in the end. And it's not like I've never gone back. Besides, now I can foster my only child syndrome in peace. Younger siblings make it so much harder." She rolled her eyes.</p><p>They were getting along. Better than Morrighan had thought. He understood her in a way people here did not just because he wanted to get out of here. She knew exactly what he was missing out on. The last two years of her life had been amazing, the best ever. And they'd been that way because she'd gone off on her own and grown as an individual. She carved her own path and found where her interest truly lay. She wouldn't deny anyone that experience. </p><p>They came up to the Mayor's house.</p><p>"So, ice cream tomorrow after work?" Gideon asked.</p><p>"I'm really not set," she admitted.</p><p>"I'll have ice cream then, and you can watch me eat it."</p><p>"Sound good," she replied. "See you then.</p><p>"See you then." He waved bye, then turned and walked away.</p><p>Morrighan walked into the mayor's house at quarter past five. She said high to Regina and Robin.</p><p>"Morrighan," Robin started as she turned for the stairs.</p><p>"What?" she asked with a smile.</p><p>"Oh never-" Regina jabbed him in the ribcage.</p><p>"I was wondering if..." his ears were turning red. The same way Morrighan's ears did. "I was wondering if you could help me learn German," he finally got out.</p><p>"Really?" she asked.</p><p>"Since English is your third language, I thought it might not kill me to learn a second, but Regina says I'm abysmal and need help." He was clearly embossed.</p><p>"Sure," the girl replied. "You should have asked sooner. What were trying to rise?"</p><p>"DuoLingo."</p><p>She snorted. "That doesn't help that much. You need grammar if you really want to understand everything. We do this funny thing where we don't always put the subject in the 'correct' place according to English grammar. And there's like an order to how you put certain adjectives and stuff and basically, if you don't know your pronouns you won't know if the lion cub is being attacked by a dancing frog or if the dancing lion cub is attacking the frog." She chuckled. "Duo's got level one vocabulary and that's it."</p><p>All the colour drained from Robin's face. </p><p>"it's okay," she said, "we'll take it slowly." She smiled.</p><p>"Alright," Robin said.</p><p>"Are you ready to go to Granny's?" Regin asked.</p><p>"Yeah," Morrighan said.</p><p>"Great, you're going to have to tell us all about your first day," she said, grabbing her purse and coat and heading to the door. Robino followed her.</p><p>The three of them walked to Granny's; Robin and Regina arm in arm. Morrighan stayed close to them, answering their questions about her day with enthusiasm. The two of them couldn't stop smiling. They were finally waking this work. It may have taken them over a month, but it was working. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Been having a bit of writer's block, so this may not be up to par as we've reached a turning point in the direction of the story and I've been unable to even start it. Also, the German sentence example was from my lv 1 class a few semesters ago.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Chapter 18</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Dealing with serious writer's block right now. I am working on getting one once a week update schedule for my WIPs, but it may take a few weeks especially now that I am working.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When they arrived at <em>Granny's</em>, they were seated at a booth near the door. It was not busy save for the regulars.</p><p>Robin got up to go to the bathroom.</p><p>"Regina?" Morrighan asked.</p><p>"Yeah?" she replied.</p><p>"I um, I was just thinking, you said you were sending some money to a therapist or something," she began, "and well I just wanted to let you know that you don't have too. I have been talking to someone from the circus. It is easier 'cause they um, know Russian and German and I know them and stuff," she rambled as her eyes darted around everywhere.</p><p>"That's fine," Regina said. "I'm glad you're doing what you need."</p><p>Morrighan nodded and they said nothing until Robin came back.</p><p>"So, how was your day?" he asked.</p><p>"Fine," she replied.</p><p>"Boring?"</p><p>"A bit."</p><p>"Not what you want to do for the rest of your life?"</p><p>"Yup," she said with a chuckle. "Definitely not."</p><p>"What do you want to do with the rest of your life?" he asked.</p><p>"Preform, act, that sort of stuff," she replied. "I like telling stories," she said solemnly, "especially good ones. I enjoy how much people enjoy it, whether it is just escapism or if they are getting deep messages. It's really cool," she finished. "I like it a lot."</p><p>"When did you know you wanted to do it?" Regina asked.</p><p>"My first curtain call, when I was three," she replied, "in Russia. Lorcan and I had a small two-minute routine and it was a circular stage so for the curtain call, half the cast bows on one side and a half on the other side in one line. Then you switch. Anyways we were the shortest, so we were in the middle and standing on the edge of that stage while about a thousand people were just cheering and screaming because they had enjoyed something I'd worked hard on. I was bitten by the performing bug. I am not really sure how to explain but anyone who has felt it know what I am talking about. This overwhelming feeling that you will do anything to be standing on the stage again. It was a mix of shock and pride and shock. I do not think anyone knows what to expect when they go for a curtain call. They tell you everyone will be cheering, but honestly, I've been shocked every time I go up on stage and someone applauds." She was talking quickly, with stars in her eyes, looking up at her memories as she recounted her time performing. "Like when I was in Wicked, I heard so many people say the applause would shake the theatre, and I knew what to expect, but every show I still could not believe that there were thousands of people standing and cheering so loud the room was rumbling. It's the definition of insane." There was a soft smile on her face, and she seemed like she was a world away.</p><p>"Sounds nice," Robin said. Regina was not sure what to say.</p><p>"Yeah, it is," she replied.</p><p>Ruby came to take their order. Robin tried ordering in German and received a dozen little correction by Morrighan, who then had to translate it to Ruby as she did not speak the language. Morrighan ordered a Greek salad, which was now her favourite dish at <em>Granny's</em>.</p><p>"Sure you don't want onion rings with that?" Granny asked from the counter.</p><p>Morrighan's face contorted in disgust. Regina shot her a look telling her to be quiet.</p><p>"Just your mom liked them," Granny continued.</p><p>Morrighan looked confused. "Not sure how you know that, but I think it's disgusting. I have no idea how she eats them without vomiting."</p><p>"So," Regina said, bringing the conversation around to something less dangerous. "Bets birthday gift."</p><p>There was a split-second excited gleam in her eyes, then it vanished, and she thought for a moment. "Well, I'm not a gifts person, nothing's coming to mind," she said. "In the circus, we do not throw a big party, since a lot of people don't have their families it's more a personal day. I much prefer giving gifts."</p><p>"Oh," Regina said, unsure what else to say.</p><p>"The best gift you ever gave?"</p><p>She waisted no time thinking about it. "Last year, inspired by Dax Shepard giving his wife Kristen Bell a sloth, I got a llama brought to the cabin mom was staying in and didn't tell anyone until the llama showed up. I wasn't there, but apparently, it was glorious."</p><p>Regina and Robin chuckled along with her. There was something in the image of Zelena being thrilled by a llama showing up at her door completely unannounced.</p><p>"What was the best thing you did in New York?"</p><p>"Well, for <em>Wicked</em>, we filmed this New Your tourist TV thing that going to air eventually, but I have no idea when, and it's basically the show from <em>One Short Day</em> to <em>Defying Gravity</em>. It is called <em>One Short Day in New York City</em>. The best part was we filmed <em>Sentimental Man</em> through <em>Defying Gravity</em> live, on Lady Liberty, so I was literally trading ten feet above Lady Liberty on a trapeze-like thing, singing <em>Defying Gravity</em> to a plethora of tourists in boats and there were helicopters everywhere and it was quite amazing."</p><p>"Sounds fun."</p><p>"It was, it was absolutely insane." Her eyes were large and full of excitement and her accent grew stronger as she got more and more wound up in the memory. "It was so cold, but around five thousand people came out to see it and I'm honestly so excited that it's going to get aired on TV because it makes Broadway more accessible and there are many people who never got to see me in the show just since they live in Europe or Australia and could never make it, and this will bring it right to them. And I just and so much fun being so high in the air when it was nighttime and all the lights were on me and I stood up even though I was technically supposed to be sitting and then I had nothing to do with my arms. Normally in the show, you throw the broom around, but I was standing on it, so I just took the Grimmerie out of my bag and started waving it around."</p><p>"Sounds like it was a lot of fun. We should watch it when it airs," Robin said. "If you do not mind, of course. I'd love to see it."</p><p>"Sure," she replied. Everyone at the table smiled.</p><p>Morrighan's eyes trailed to her phone and she replied to a few texts while they waited. Ruby brought them their drinks. Morrighan had opted for water while Robin and Regina had gone for root beer. They looked at each other, unsure of what to say. They had never tried to enforce no-phone rules, mostly since they had not seemed to need it. Not to mention, Morrighan had a list of international contacts and Zelena was sick. If something went wrong, they could very easily not know about it. And it was not like she had ever used it to stop form talking to them before. It was a new situation they had no idea how to navigate.</p><p>"One sec," Morrighan said, standing up and walking outside as she dialled a number. They watched her paced outside for a few moments before coming back. "Sorry," she said</p><p>"What was that about?"</p><p>"Oh, nothing," she replied, looking down. She slid her phone into her pocket.</p><p>"What was it about?" Regina asked again, more sternly.</p><p>"Nothing," she replied.</p><p>"Then it could have waited."</p><p>Morrighan just rolled her eyes and muttered something under her breath that they did not understand. She had an entire life that they were separate from and she seemed determined to keep them severed from it.</p><p>"It's not polite to have a phone at the table," Robin said. "I don't know how it worked in the circus, but in America, it's not polite."</p><p>"It's not like you were talking," she replied. "And it was important."</p><p>"What was important?" Robin asked gently.</p><p>"Just stuff," she replied. She did not want to share.</p><p>"We need to know what it's about if it's important," Robin pointed out peacefully.</p><p>"Not really," she replied. "It's not going to affect you. Just university stuff," she replied.</p><p>Why had that been so hard to get out of her? It had to more than just university stuff. Morrighan rarely talked to them about University, so maybe that is all that it was. She generally tried to avoid subjects that she thought might upset them, like the fact that she was leaving America eventually or what she had planned in the few months after she turned eighteen but before he had to move into her dorm if she was even going to live on campus. She was considering it, but with her minimum wage pay-cut, it seemed like she would have to bunk with five strangers. They had not thought any of this through and Morrighan was tired of pointing it out. They had messed up her life; there was no denying it. She just had to readjust and do as much damage control as she could. She was amazing at adapting. She lived in a travelling circus. It was random and chaotic, and you could go from nothing but your trailer and food rations to having more money than you knew what to do within an instant. She was used to it and she knew how to manage it, so she was not worried. She did not, however, want to turn this into an issue and another fight. She wanted to get through these months as uneventfully as possible and send them cards on special occasions when this was done to make them feel included.</p><p>"What type of university stuff?"</p><p>"None of your business," she said colder than she had meant too.</p><p>"What up?" Robin asked earnestly. "I thought today was a good day."</p><p>She considered telling them. Then considered not telling them. Then she told them point-blank that working for Mr. Gold was messing up her savings plan. In fact, for people who were so worried about her education, they never bothered to see what impact their ideas would have on her plans.</p><p>"Oh," Regina said. "I mean, we uh, didn't mean too. And we could give you some-"</p><p>"I don't want any," she replied. "I want to work my way through university like everyone else."</p><p>"Or you could go to university here in Storybrooke," Regina said.</p><p>"No," she replied. "I've never heard of it and your American schools are ranked and stuff. I'd never go to school here unless it was Ivy-league because of all that nonsense, and even then, it would have to be full scholarship because I can't afford it." She paused. "Did you do this deliberately to try and get me to study here?"</p><p>"What No!" Regina exclaimed. "it had not even crossed my mind."</p><p>A lot of thigs did not cross Mayor Mill's mind when it came to her niece/stepdaughter. A lot of things that were making this so much worse.</p><p>"Can't Zelena help you out," Regina said.</p><p>"I'm not going there with you," she said flatly. "That is absolutely none of your business."</p><p>Regina squeezed Robin's hand on the bench for support and to say sorry.</p><p>"What are you going to do about it?" Robin asked.</p><p>"I'm sorting it out." That was all she said.</p><p>The food came and they ate in silence.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Chapter 19</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Later that night, Regina was worried. And she did what was starting to do when she gets worried, she called Zelena. Because Zelena would know what to do because Zelena was Morrighan's mother. </p><p>"Regina," Zelena answered groggily. "What time is it?"</p><p>"I didn't think it was too late for you," she said in apology.</p><p>"Oh, right yeah, no, I'm in Tokyo. Different time zone," she said. "Why are you calling?"</p><p>"Morrighan said something about money for university and-"</p><p>"I told her not to tell you," Zelena huffed. "She's blowing this out of proportion. Do not listen to her. In a few days she will have written up a day by day spending plan form now till the end of her degree and she will be fine. She likes plans and this one got messed up and now she is panicking. Trust me, in a few days, she will be fine. She might have to choose a different dorm plan or live off-campus. Possibly, and only if she is over budgeting or overspending. It's not going to kill her." She paused. "Look, I'm just sick of this conversation. I will admit some of it is my fault for being too much of a miser and worrier when she was younger, but trust me, she will be fine. Do you think I would have let this happen if I thought it was going to mess up her chances at university, especially with the way you were using it as leverage?"</p><p>"Alright then," Regina said. "Are you sure, if you need something I can-"</p><p>"No," Zelena said. "I have more than enough saved up for her. As I said, she's making a mountain out of a mole-" Zelena cut herself off with a coughing fit. </p><p>"Lena?" A new voice said, jarring Regina with the use of a nickname. Mattias. Regina had never thought of someone having an affectionate nickname for her half-sister. "<em>Geh jetzt schlafen</em>." Go to sleep now. Morrighan's German lessons were working, it seemed.</p><p>Zelena was hacking up a storm on the other line. </p><p>"<em>Lena, schlaf bitte.</em>" Lena, sleep please. "<em>Komm ins Bett, du brauchst deine Energie.</em>" Come to bed, you need your energy. Mattias was pleading with her to take care of herself.</p><p>"Zelena, are you okay?" Regina asked.</p><p>"I'm bloody dying," she snapped back between heaving coughs. Regina took that as a no. It was also the first time Zelena had admitted to her half-sister that she was dying, and it made Regina feel odd and conflicted.</p><p>"You should come to Storybrooke," Regina said. Then she could heal Zelena and she would not have to feel too guilty all the time. </p><p>There was no reply, but the coughing fit seemed to subside, and she could hear Mattias muttering something to Zelena, but she could not make out what. There were muffled sounds of whimpering. Zelena was dying. </p><p>"Why?" Zelena gasped as she regained her composure. Mattias was still talking on the background, softly. Regina wondered if he was doing the same thing Robin did when she was sick, hold her tightly and tell her how much he loved her, sometimes kissing her for good measure. Being her support and comfort when she needed it.</p><p>"Well, I was just thinking that it might be nice and..." she trailed off, unsure.</p><p>"I can't, Regina," Zelena said softly. "I have kids and work and a bunch of other stuff. I may not work a nine to five, but I still have a well-paying job and mouths to feed. I still have a life and people who care about me. I can't just swoop in and fix the mess you made." She paused. "I want to, for Morgan's sake, but I can't. You have to sort this out yourself."</p><p>Mattias said something to her, and she replied. They had a mini conversation before Zelena said: "What if you came to Heidelberg instead?"</p><p>"Hm?'</p><p>"Here, well not here exactly, I am in Tokyo, but there. To Heidelberg. Come visit us. I think you can uproot yourself for a week a bit easier than I can," she explained. </p><p>"I guess so," Regina said. It was not her idea of ideal, but it was much better than nothing. Maybe she could bring something to Zelena. "I'd have to talk it over with Robin and see if the city council can mange in my absence, but it might be doable."</p><p>"It'll have to be in a few months," Zelena said. "I'm in Tokyo till the end of next month and the month after that is pretty busy too. Maybe in June or July?" She coughed again, but it was not a big fit. "We can talk about it later," she said through a yawn. </p><p>She was not disappointed with the timetable. More time meant Regina had more time to sort out an answer. Belle had been going through some books, but they had so little to go on and no one was keen on some multi-realm quest for a cure-all like a philosopher's stone or something that might not even work outside of Storybrooke. If lake Nostos was still a thing, that might have been feasible, but it had dried up; the last of its water used to break the infertility curse on Snow White.</p><p>"Sounds like a good idea," Regina said. "And for what it's worth," she added, "I hope you find something that works. I hope you get better."</p><p>"Yeah," Zelena sighed into the receiver. "Me too. Bye Regina."</p><p>"Bye."</p><p>Regina put down her cellphone and looked up. Robin was standing in the door frame of their bedroom.</p><p>"She sounds like she's dying," Regina said, still a bit shaken. "I think it was easier when I had no idea, but now it's all I can hear in her voice. How laboured it sounds when she talks, how out of breath and completely done she is."</p><p>Robin came over and sat beside her. "You will find a way," he said.</p><p>"I know, but I wonder sometimes if we should. She did all that stuff."</p><p>"Regina, how many second chances did you get?"</p><p>"A lot," she replied. "But we've given her a lot too."</p><p>"How many?" Robin asked.</p><p>"Two, maybe."</p><p>"Did you change after two?"</p><p>"No," she replied. "I changed after Henry."</p><p>"Yeah," he said. "And I know there's the curse, but there's a caring mother in there and a person who is dying and terrified of the whole she’s' going to leave behind. Because she managed to dig herself a hole into people's hearts."</p><p>"You've changed your tune," Regina pointed out.</p><p>"Well, Morrighan loves her and I love my daughter," he said. "And it's the right thing to do." He wrapped his arms around his wife and pulled her close. "I love you, Regina," he said. "So very much. You can do this; I know you can."</p><p>Regina smiled. "Everything's easier knowing you've got my back," she said with a chuckle. "So how do you feel about going to Heidelberg? We would be meeting her family, so I guess I would be meeting my niece and nephews. And what about Mattias. I know Morgan still sees him as her dad, even if she doesn't say so to our faces."</p><p>"He was there for her when I wasn't," Robin said. "I should like to thank him in person. He raised a good girl."</p><p>"They both did," Regina said. "This could work. We slip some potion into Zelena's drink, she gets better. It will help Morrighan knowing that her mother's fine. And we should get to know this new Zelena. I have no will to break the curse she is under. I think it might be mercy now. Maybe she has become a good person somewhere along the line."</p><p>"Love tends to do that," Robin said. "We should ask Morgan what she thinks."</p><p>His wife agreed with him and they exited the room and walked down the hallway to Morgan's room and knocked on the door.</p><p>"We're coming in," Robin said.</p><p>She said nothing to stop them, so they opened the door. She was stretching on the floor, in black yoga pants and magenta marbled sports bra in the splits with her foot in her hair, which was getting redder and redder as it grew with every passing week. She pulled out an earbud to listen to them. Her phone was on the ground playing music.</p><p>"Yeah," she said, still clearly annoyed with them.</p><p>"We were just talking to Zelena," Regina said. "And we were thinking, the three of us, that it might be nice if we went to Heidelberg."</p><p>Morrighan switched leading legs. "Oh," she said. "Really, isn't Mom in Tokyo, it's very late there."</p><p>"Yeah, she is," Regina said.</p><p>"She needs sleep," Morrighan said unimpressed.</p><p>"She doesn't have to answer the phone, she's a grown woman," Regina said.</p><p>"She will because you're calling and she's worried," Morrighan said. "She answers me almost every time too. If I want to text her something and not disturb her, I text it someone else and have them text her."</p><p>"Well, what do you think?" Robin said.</p><p>"Sounds nice," Morrighan replied, switching stretches. She was incredibly flexible. Morrighan did not think so, always claiming she would be a terrible contortionist (not to mention was too tall) and that's why she stuck to aerial, but she still had more range than most people in the town. </p><p>"Do you know why Zelena's in Tokyo?" Regina asked. She was starting to get uncomfortable with the way her niece was bending herself into odd shapes.</p><p>"If she didn't tell you, that's up to her," Morrighan replied. Then she stood up.</p><p>"You know, we could convert a room in the basement into a gym," Regina said. She and Robin had never bothered, but if Morrighan wanted a home gym it could be arranged.</p><p>"Honestly, I'm fine here," she said nonchalantly with a small smile.</p><p>"It's not good to be trapped in one room all day," Regina pointed out.</p><p>"I'm not," the girl countered. It was true. </p><p>"If you change your mind, let us know," Robin said. "Good night," he said, closing the door and pulling Regina out of the door frame. </p><p>They went downstairs and made popcorn and watched a movie with nothing else to do. Morrighan came down a while after in pyjamas and sat on a different couch.</p><p>"What movie do you want to watch?"</p><p>Morrighan shrugged.</p><p>"Okay, what's your favourite movie?" Regina said. </p><p>"Uh," she said, thinking. "<em>I Kill Giants</em> is good, but I don't want to watch that..." she thought for a moment. "Maybe <em>Interstellar</em>? But I'm sure you've seen it."</p><p>"We haven't," Regina assured her. She took the remote, rented the movie, and played it. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Chapter 20</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Robin got home from the archery ring and Regina was already home from the office and had started supper.</p><p>“How’d it go?” Regina asked.</p><p>“It’s getting there,” he replied. He was trying to set up another archery ring in Storybrooke. The last one got shut down after some pixies messed with it and moved in and Robin had been trying to set another one up for the past few years but the town seemed more and more inclined to be normal as years went by without any crazy magical interference. “The grounds are still a mess.”</p><p>“As the mayor, I’d like to thank you for cleaning up our town,” she joked, kissing him on the cheek.</p><p>He looked over at the clock. Morrighan would be getting back soon. Things were always awkward between them. It did not matter how much they vowed to start over; this just was not working. She was still mad at them and she had every right to be and they were just beginning to realize the real world was a real thing and they had no idea what they were doing. Which did not help them in the slightest?</p><p>The sound of keys turning in the door let them know she was here.</p><p>“Hi,” she said as she walked through the door.</p><p>“Hi,” they both replied.</p><p>To their surprise, she came and joined them in the kitchen instead of running off to her room to work on some projects.</p><p>“So, um,” she said and they both turned to face her. She was nervously bending back her fingers and cracking her knuckles. “I’m sorry for freaking out a bunch of stuff. It is not fair on you guys and I understand that you are trying to do what you think is best. I know myself and I know them when I’m bored I fixate on things and blow them out of proportion and get very temperamental very quickly and I should have been more proactive in keeping myself busy, but I wasn’t and that’s my fault.” She paused. “However, I feel like the type of relationship you want is not one we are ever going to have. I already have parents and,” she said drawing the word out nervously, “I don’t really want another set.” She was not looking at them. “I don’t mind us having more of a friend type of relationship; I don’t see why we can’t get along. But you are not going to be my parents. I am seventeen. The whole point of being a teenager is to learn how to live independently and not be micromanaged all the time. I can function as an independent adult because I am not a child. I moved across the ocean, I have lived on my own, I have kept a job and paid rent and taxes and bought groceries by myself every other week. For over a year. I do not need another set of parents. I love mine already and I am sorry if this is mean but neither of you have ever been there for me in any capacity. If you do not like the way I was raised, that is fine, everyone has their opinions. But it is not up to you to change that or to fix me.”</p><p>Her confidence was growing as the started looking them both in the eyes as she spoke. “And I am my own person who is capable of making my own decisions as well. I am not a four-year-old with a temper problem and I do not want to be treated as such. I get that this town is more conservative and traditional, but I see nothing wrong in learning to do math by cooking and doing your parents' taxes and counting all the merchandise after a show. Or learning physics by doing aerial. And being in a circus did not in any way hinder my education, and by which I would like to point out that I do have a scholarship to university. The only university I have ever wanted to go to. It is partial, but who cares. And I would like to mention that the circus requires any student who is travelling and performing to keep up, with what I believe once converted is the equivalent of a four-point two GPA, but I could be wrong ‘cause I don’t understand your American school system stuff and that we have to be above the ninetieth percentile in all of Germany. This means when our standardized test gets compared to the rest of the province, we must be better than ninety percent of students. So, what I am trying to say is that I am a functional, smart person and my life doesn’t need some rich relatives I’ve never met before to swoop in and save me from something.” Then she stopped and waited for them to react.</p><p>Regina looked at her, then to Robin, then back to Morrighan again. She had just indirectly implied she did not want Robin to be her father. Neither of them knew what to say.</p><p>“I don’t want to be walking on eggshells around either of you,” she said when it seemed clear they had nothing to say. “That’s not a healthy environment for any of us.’</p><p>“Okay,” was all Robin could think to say. “How do you want to move forwards?” he asked.</p><p>“Like friends,” she said. “Let’s try and get to know each other. I know less about you than you do about me. Do you guys even have hobbies?”</p><p>Regina and Robin looked at each other.</p><p>“Regina rides horses sometimes,” Robin replied.</p><p>“Robin’s into archery.”</p><p>“See,” she exclaimed, “I never knew that.”</p><p>Regina and Robin exchanged glances again. She was right. Now, where did they go?</p><p>“We should do twenty questions,” Morrighan said. She gave them no time to reply. “I’ll start my favourite food?”</p><p>‘Um,” Regina stuttered, “Lasagna. Maybe we should sit down?”</p><p>Morrighan shrugged and they all when to the couch. She turned to Robin expectantly who caved and just said cake.</p><p>“Now ask me a question,” she explained. “And you only get twenty.”</p><p>Robin thought for a moment. There was a lot he wanted to know. But twenty would give him a starting point for later. He just needed a starting point now. They should have done this earlier.</p><p>“When’s that TV special you were talking about?” Regina asked for him. “We actually do want to see it.”</p><p>She pulled out her phone. “The 23<sup>rd</sup>.”</p><p>“That’s tomorrow.”</p><p>“Oh.”</p><p>“Your turn,” Regina said.</p><p>The girl thought for a moment. “What was your childhood pet?”</p><p>“I had a dog,” Robin said. “His name was Gerald, after some knight, and he was a large brown lab who was a terrible guard dog unless you wanted him to sit on someone and suffocate them to death.” He turned to Regina who talked a bit about her childhood horse.</p><p>“Did you have any pets?” Regina asked.</p><p>“No, can’t bring them across borders in some countries,” she replied. “You have eighteen left.”</p><p>Drat. This game was hard. Polite conversation counted. She smirked; she knew it.</p><p>“I’ll give you a freebie, I’ve had interview training. Surprisingly helps a lot.”</p><p>“What’s interview training?” Robin asked, then almost facepalmed.</p><p>“Hello, how are you today? Good, you? Yes, now do like dogs, Yes I do and do y- WRONG!” she said. “That’s exactly how it goes. No polite conversation, you just talk about yourself. Bad interviews interject. That is why late-night television is so annoying. It puts you in a weird mentality though and it takes a while to remember to ask people about them instead of talking about yourselves all the time. I think that’s why new celebrities sometimes seem stuck up and self-absorbed because they spend so much time being told to talk about nothing but themselves. Okay, my turn, what was something stupid you did as a child?”</p><p>They ended up talking for hours, forgetting about supper until their stomachs were so loud it was hard to ignore. Regina ordered in quick, efficient, and no dishes. They made plans to go trail riding on the weekend. They mad plans to watch that special tomorrow night. They also now had a list of things they knew about Morrighan that was not sleuthed from the internet, one of which being she did not care if they sleuthed her social media because she put that stuff out there knowing people would watch it and build their opinions on her around it. She said that Zelena watched them all and strangers she had never met watched them all, so she did not care if they did. Regina made a point of showing just awful at technology she was by trying and failing, to create a YouTube account and Instagram account to follow her niece.</p><p>“Why don’t you just use twitter and Facebook,” she complained. The town used twitter and Facebook.</p><p>“No one cares about Facebook and twitter is a dumpster fire I’m staying away from,” she replied. “And that was your last question.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Chapter 21</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tonight Morrighan’s TV appearance was airing, and she did not seem to care at all. Regina and Robin had been the ones to invite a few family members over and prepare a meal. Morrighan did not complain, nor said she did not like it after they asked her multiple times. Was this even the normal thing to do when one was on TV? Regina had no idea.</p><p>Morrighan said she often wasn’t in the country when a TV show she was in aired unless she was contracted too for an event and if people wanted to watch it they just caught it on the channel’s site later on in the week. But she did seem excited to see it and she had people calling her all day, making Regina realize she had no idea what type of phone plan her niece had and whether or not she was paying premiums for being in the States. Or if Zelena was paying for it.</p><p>But they were friendly, cordial, but not personal. Those weren’t the type of questions she was permitted to ask. She and Robin had talked a lot last night. Robin was upset, of course, he was, but he understood he was not her father. He wasn’t listed as <em>Vader</em> under her contacts or the person who had any sort of personal relationship with her or her mother. They debated offing her what could have been child-support payments had he been in her life but decided they should wait to bring it up.</p><p>Regina went up to Morrighan room to tell her that lunch was ready. They’d made grilled cheese with bacon along with one of her favourite salad recopies, and Regina had to admit once she got the hang of it, it was one of the better salads she’d had in her lifetime. No lettuce or kale insight. It somehow had never occurred to her that people who ate religiously healthy would actually know how to make it taste good even though it made much more sense. But she still had issues imagining Zelena eating it all the time, willingly.</p><p>Or maybe all the healthy food they had force-fed her changed her tastebuds and sugar was just never the same afterwards. Or she’d just decided she wanted to live a healthier lifestyle. She’d clearly gotten herself some university degrees and learnt how to drive and significantly cleaned up her act.</p><p>Regina walked into Morrighan’s room. Her niece was sitting on the bed, scowling at her phone.</p><p>“Hey,” Regina said.</p><p>“Hi,” she replied, not looking up.</p><p>“Lunch is ready.”</p><p>“Thanks,” she said with a smile. It was almost scary how she went from scowling to a perfectly believable smile, back to scowling at her phone. She never looked like she was forcing everything.</p><p>“What’s wrong?”</p><p>“Oh, nothing really, just a conflict of opinions,” she lamented.</p><p>“Can I ask what?”</p><p>“It’s nothing,” she said.</p><p>“I might be able to help.”</p><p>“I don‘t think you’d understand.”</p><p>Regina sat down on the edge of the bed. “You know, I might be old, but I did live life once. I might be able to provide some guidance.”</p><p>“Thanks, but I’ll ask mom if I want some,” she said. “It’s more of a dead-end argument making us both annoyed.”</p><p>“Then why are you having it.”</p><p>“Because I think I’m right and she thinks she’s right.”</p><p>“That sounds counterproductive.”</p><p>“Well, it is, unless one of us wins.”</p><p>“Well,” Regina said, “why don’t you come down and have some lunch.”</p><p>“Sure,” Morrighan said, leaving her phone on the bed and leaving the room.</p><p>Regina picked it up, curious. A text came in from Country.</p><p>
  <em>You’re shooting yourself in the foot.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Come on we had plans for this, remember? For Broadway and stuff.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>There’s no way minimum wage is paying you half your Elphaba salary, don’t act like it is. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>What on earth is this going to do to help you in the future?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Don’t just placate Mattias, he’s doing what he would want someone to do if the roles are reversed and because he thinks this is best bc of your mom. Come on, there’s no way they’re not regretting not fighting and you’ve got all the documents to prove you’re not better off. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Mattias cares about you, he made a decision he thought was best, but it was a bad decision. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>You know that now, call that Yale circus lawyer you hate talking to. Onkel Wilhelm right? I’ll call him for you I still have his number that guy’s great.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Why are you mad at yourself? You’re only hurting yourself</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Why do you hate yourself so much?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>It’s not your fault</em>
</p><p>Regina put the phone down. She knew her niece wasn’t necessarily happy with the arrangement, but there was still so much she did not know. It was clear her friend did not support it. Since when did Regina care what Morrighan’s friends think? They were all a cohort of teenagers, probably mad they couldn’t all hang out anymore.</p><p>Her phone pinged again.</p><p>
  <em>I’m worried about you M. I love you.</em>
</p><p>Regina sighed. Morrighan’s friends were Morrighan’s issue. Regina could not do anything about it.</p><p>But she couldn’t help but wonder if Morrighan had been upset because whatever they’d said before she came in had been true and she knew it but was just ignoring it. Maybe her friend was just slapping her in the face with the truth. And where did that leave her and Robin?</p><p>Stuck here in Storybrooke.</p><p>She put her niece’s phone down and went downstairs before anything started to seem suspicious. Morrighan was helping Robin with his German pronunciations.</p><p>“You’re too afraid,” she said. “You just have to attack it or you’re never going to get it.”</p><p>He tried one more time and was slightly more successful.</p><p>“See,” she pointed out as she took a bite of her sandwich.</p><p>Regina sat down and ate her lunch. There was a knock on their door and Robin went to get it.</p><p>“Hi Gideon,” he said.</p><p>“Hi,” the boy replied. “Is Morgan here?”</p><p>“Yep, we’re just eating, want to come in?” Robin let him in, and he came and sat down at the free seat on the table.</p><p>“Hey,” Morrighan said.</p><p>“Hi,” Gideon replied. “Sorry for coming in announced.”</p><p>“It’s fine,” Regina said with a smile.</p><p>“Anyways,” he said, turning to Morrighan. “I got an audition for a part in a TV show and I was wondering if you could give me some pointers and help me run lines.”</p><p>“Oh sure!” she said her face lighting up. “Fair warning I’m militant about it though. I’m of the idea if you’re not solely focused on getting the role, not getting is entirely your fault and has nothing to do with the person who got it actually being better for the role in every way. So it’s up to you if you want my help, but my help with being absolute and excessive. I am not guaranteeing you are best for the role or going to get it. I’m am guaranteeing if you do everything I say, the only reason you will lose out is that someone was better through no fault of your own.”</p><p>“It’s fine,” he replied. “I really want to get the role. It would be my first time on TV. I’ve done some theatre and radio, but no TV.”</p><p>“Do you have the script already?”</p><p>“Yep.”</p><p>“Great,” she said, finished her meal and putting the plates in the dishwasher. “If you have it on you, we can work on it now.”</p><p>“It’s on my phone.”</p><p>“Cool.” Morrighan leads him up to her room.</p><p>He seemed a bit awkward about it since they’d never been in her room before, but Morrighan was excited and pushy and he couldn’t say no. Regina went to check on them a few hours later. Morrighan was making him recite the lines backwards, both word by word and phonetically.</p><p>“Do you do this every time?” she asked.</p><p>“In three languages at least,” Morrighan replied. “It’s overkill, but I once lost out on a part I wanted because they asked me to say it backwards and I just stuttered. I think being prepared for anything is the best policy. Sometimes you might get asked to do a dance or sing a song to break the ice. You have to be ready to do anything.”</p><p>She turned her attention to Gideon. “So, is it working?”</p><p>“I have no idea, but I know the lines inside and out now. I’m not so certain on crossing out some of the tone directions though.”</p><p>“I told you to cross them out because you’re acting them, not making them authentic,” Morrighan said. “It has to be authentic, not forced and if you’re thinking you have to say a line a certain way it’s coming out forced. You’re not acting.” She paused’ her eyebrows furrowed. “Did that make sense?” then she rambled something off in Russian. “English is a dumb language,” she huffed.</p><p>“Here are some snacks,” she said, handing them some grapes, cold cuts, and crackers.</p><p>“Thanks,” they both said.</p><p>Regina went back downstairs. “They’re good,” she told Robin. She had not yet told him about the texts. “How’s the lasagna coming?” she asked.</p><p>“Good,” he replied, turning the oven light on to check. “I think there’ll be enough,” he reassured her. “How’s it going up there?”</p><p>“Well, I think,” she replied. “It’s not like I actually know what’s going on.”</p><p>“Same,” he replied. “I’m glad she’s got, one friend. I wish we could convince her to invite hers over.”</p><p>“The closest ones are in New York and they’re working,” Regina repeated what Morrighan always told them. “And her best friend is studying in Oxford and her favourite pen pal lives in Australia and her childhood pen pal lives in a circus in Russia and her friend in Montreal can’t really speak English and is in school.”</p><p>And they had no idea what they knew or thought about the situation. She’d seen Lorcan and his girlfriend on video chat a few times, but they rarely spoke English. Often a mix of German and Spanish and when it was just her and Lorcan they spoke almost exclusively in Russian. Regina did not think she was done maliciously. It just seemed so natural from the way the switched in between languages to better express and idea or because one language just wasn’t working for them that day. Morrighan got blocked sometimes talking to them because she knew the perfect word in another language, but it did not have an English translation or some days English just wasn’t working, and she had difficulty with small talk. Then she got frustrated and it got worse. They tried their best in German, but they were old, and that was a stupid excuse, but neither of them seemed capable of picking it up as fast as they’d like too.</p><p>~</p><p>That evening, they had everything ready. Snacks, drinks, anything anyone could want. The house was filling up. Morrighan was sitting in a corner with Gideon and they were talking about something. The TV special would start in a half-hour. Regina just hoped they were doing the right thing. She wondered if there was some tradition for this, like speeches or something but soon figured it was probably done on a family-by-family basis and any traditions Morrighan followed would be ones she had created with Zelena and had no intention of recreating here. Not to mention they would be in a language only she spoke so no one would be able to take part.</p><p>Regina was pouring the wine when Morrighan came up behind her. “May I have a glass?” she asked.</p><p>“Uh, no,” Regina said in shock. “That’s illegal.”</p><p>“Oh, right,” she said, looking kind of bewildered. “Eighteen here? I’m almost eighteen.”</p><p>“Twenty-one,” Regina said. “Zelena lets you drink?” she asked, unable to mask the harsh judgement in her voice.</p><p>“It’s sixteen in Germany and eighteen in the rest of the world, sorry I forgot you’ve got a whacked-up culture with drinking yourself blind,” she snapped. The room when quiet and people looked at her. Morrighan just crossed her arms and walked away. She walked up the stairs to her room.</p><p>Regina followed her. ”Hey, I’m sorry, I’m not mad at you,” she said. “You were asking a valid question. It was cultural differences.”</p><p>“You just hate my mom,” she said, lying face-down on her bed. “Fuck America,” she muttered.</p><p>“Language,” Regina scolded.</p><p>“Stop trying to be my mom,” Morrighan snapped again. “You’re not. Mom’s the only one who can tell me I’m not allowed to swear in English because she is my <em>mother</em>. It is not your job to parent me.”</p><p>Regina sighed, sitting down on the bedside. “I’m sorry, I’m trying.”</p><p>“You’re not. If you were you would stop making the same mistakes over and over again. You see me as a child who needs to be fixed and you think you can do the fixing and the fact that I’m living under your roof and need your permission to do anything is not helping.”</p><p>“I-uhh,”</p><p>“And I know I’m not helping either by acting as a child but it’s very hard when acting rationally doesn’t get my point across. And I have the argument that my brain isn’t developed until I’m twenty-five, so I still get a pass for that.” She rolled over onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. “And I’m really annoyed because you guys have never once asked me what I thought. You act like this is all about you and your feeling and your contract, but this is my life that you’re screwing over just because you think you know what’s best.” She sighed. “I’m a loud-mouthed circus girl with more liberal and bug city ideals. I’m not small Christian town material. I’m not staying in one place, work nine to five material either. I like working weird hours and staying up past midnight signing autographs. I never once felt like I was working, ever. Now every day just seems stupid and pointless. So maybe you were right, I never knew what it was like to work a day in my life. But why should you just make me miserable because I had to guts to see that I wanted to something and took the risk while you’re stuck in some boring administerial job that stresses you out? It’s not my fault I had more advantages. And you had more advantages in life than my mom did, and she managed to make a better life than you did.”</p><p>“I-“ Regina said.</p><p>“Don’t say anything, I don’t want to hear it,” Morrighan replied. She sat up and whipped her eyes. “I’m going to put on a nice show because I’m an actor and a good person,” she said with the perfect smile. “But know that I do not want to be here, and I don’t care about either of your feelings since you don’t care about mine. You are not my mother. Robin is not my father. We aren’t even friends yet. Get that through your heads, then we can talk. I’m fed up with both of you and this town.” She stood up and left.</p><p>Regina came down a few minutes later and it was like nothing had ever happened. The show started soon. An announcer was standing outside of an apartment door.</p><p>“Wicked on Broadway has been a smash hit since it started in 2003,” the beginning, going into the show’s history, many productions, and multiple awards while press reels rolled across the screens. “Today, we are going to meet the current Elphaba, Glinda, and Fiyero.” She went to the door, but it opened before she got the chance and Morrighan came out, all smiles and dressed in gym wear,</p><p>“Good morning!” she said. “Ready to go?” The scene changed to the gym where there an interview where they talked about their morning routine. Then they made their way to the rehearsal theatre where Country walked them through their recreation of the set that was going to be put on the statue.</p><p>After the commercial break, they were on Stanton Island. Morrighan was painted green and they were testing the winds. It was interesting and Morrighan just seemed so different in the clips. More open, more mature. Not like she had her aunt breathing down her shirt. Then the interviews started.</p><p>Morrighan talked about how she started as part of the ensemble and learnt the Elphaba trach in less than six hours after they needed an emergency replacement and was picked out of a hat to play the character. And one thing leads to another and she spent her seventeenth birthday signing her thirteen-month contract and differing her university acceptance.</p><p>“So, lastly, sing us through your musical career,” the interviewer said.</p><p>“Um, uh— <em>Look at me, I’m the very best, the one who won’t make a mess…</em>” she started, a bar appearing saying <em>Look at Me (TV &amp; Live)</em> and dated about a decade ago. Then it flipped to her west end roles. <em>Matilda</em>, then <em>Les Misérables </em>in Paris, then <em>Annie</em> the German national tour, <em>Into the Woods</em> in Germany, <em>The Pirate Queen </em>West End Benefit show and a notable four-year gap from her previous show followed by <em>Beetlejuice: das Musical</em> with dates that must have been right before she left for California and finishing with a few bars from a <em>Wicked</em> song.</p><p>“How many bars to Let it Go do you know?” the amused announcer asked.</p><p>“<em>Let it go, let it go, I don’t know the English words, let it go, let it go, something about the cold,</em>” she sang, then shrugged as a figure snuck up on her behind.</p><p>“BOO!” someone yelled.</p><p>Morrighan jumped, grabbing one of the person’s wrists and twisting it slightly, her other raising to her face. They both fell over.</p><p>“Oh my god, Idina!” Morrighan exclaimed through giggles, still on top of the other woman. She turned back to the camera. “This is why you never sneak up on someone. I’m paranoid and I will hurt you. Are you okay?” she asked, turning back to the woman who was still laughing.</p><p>“Yep, I’m fine.”</p><p>They both stood back up. “The viewers at home have no idea how many times we’ve done this before no one was bleeding,” Morrighan joked.</p><p>A title appeared, labelling the new woman as Idina Menzel, the original Elphaba. After the next commercial break, they talked a bit about translations and the originating of the show, some more stuff fans would be interested in. Finally, she preshow was ending. The whole group was gathered, including the original Glinda.</p><p>“Watch me Defy Gravity after the few messages!” Morrighan exclaimed as they all waved.</p><p>“I thought you met her at a concert,” Gideon said.</p><p>“I’ve never been to one of her concerts,” she replied. “And I never said I did. Being Elphaba is like joining a sorority. Pro-tip, never let Rachel Tucker get your phone. Oh and make your room Stephanie J. Block proof. My first official day, I walked in on her in my dressing room, though I was in the wrong room, left the room, and crashing right into Jessika Vosk who was in a white dress, getting green all over it. It was a disaster.”</p><p>“That makes no sense,” he muttered.</p><p>“Elphaba is joining a cult. We all even have the same stressed-induced green dreams.”</p><p>Regina tried to listen in, but she didn’t catch anything else before the show came back on. Both Morrighan and County were in full costume in the theatre.</p><p>“Glinda,” Morrighan said, a close up on their faces, “come with me.”</p><p>“Where?’</p><p>“To New York City,” she said as a chorus sung “one short day” in the background.</p><p>Regina was slightly jealous as she watched them dance their way across the streets, around the statue, even a shot with them in a hot air balloon. It was a spectacle with shots from over the top of the statues as the chorus danced on either side during the song.</p><p>They met the Wizard at the base of the statue, and it was amazing how they transformed it with projections and used the lights to their advantage. It was clear that this part had been filmed live as there was now an audience and it became a continuous shot as they cursed the monkeys, then started running up the stairs. The camera pandered to the outside where people were watching on a  large scene as Morrighan and Country stopped on one of the inside landings.</p><p>“I hope you’re happy!” Country sang-spat.</p><p>
  <em>I hope you're happy now</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I hope you're happy how you've</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Hurt your cause forever</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I hope you think you're clever</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Morrighan replied, looing mad and wild:</p><p>
  <em>I hope you're happy</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I hope you're happy too</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I hope you're proud how you would</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Grovel in submission</em>
</p><p>
  <em>To feed your own ambition</em>
</p><p>And together they sang:</p><p>
  <em>So though I can't imagine how</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I hope you're happy</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Right now</em>
</p><p>Then a voice came over the speakers announcing that Elphaba was a wicked witch and the continued to run up the stairs as the ensemble outside began to sing No One Mourns the Wicked in a sombre tone. The shot again pandered out to the audience who be watching this on the screen where one could see the girls running up the stairs, chased by guards as they made it to the top.</p><p>The score was amazing, Regina had to give the show credit for that., but she highly doubted this sympathetic look at her sister was at all accurate. At least Morrighan wasn’t playing a villain in her play.</p><p>The girls started signing again and Regina felt chills run up and down her spin as Elphaba convinced Glinda to sit on the broom and they were both raised in the air signing and was more than disappointed when Glinda refused to come with her. She felt herself getting lost in the production as the guards broke through the door and Elphaba jumped on the statue, now sitting on the broom</p><p>“It’s meee!” she shrieked and people started cheering as she held the note over ten seconds and pulled herself to stand on top of the broom despite the winds that were so harsh they had no use the aerial hammock.</p><p>Everyone was transfixed by the lighting and the power of just one girl standing above a statue, singing Defying Gravity for an audience of hundreds.</p><p>
  <em>So if you care to find me</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Look to the Western sky!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>As someone told me lately</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Everyone deserves the chance to fly</em>
</p><p>
  <em>And if I'm flying solo</em>
</p><p>
  <em>At least I'm flying free</em>
</p><p>
  <em>To those who ground me</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Take a message back from me!</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Tell them how I am defying gravity</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I'm flying high, defying gravity</em>
</p><p>
  <em>And soon I'll match them in renown</em>
</p><p>
  <em>And nobody in all of Oz</em>
</p><p>
  <em>No wizard that there is or was</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Is ever gonna bring me down!</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Someone had brought her down. They had.</p><p>The scene went black, then cut to both Morrighan and Country on the stage below, talking to everyone about Wicked, then inviting the original actor onto the stage to duet a song from the show with them. The audience sang along to <em>For Good</em>. Regina was sold, it was good. She could see it through her prejudices.</p><p>The next bit was them talking about the benefit, asking people to buy the DVD and talking about specials on the DVD, etcetera. Then Idina Menzel made everyone sing Happy Birthday to Morrighan because apparently this was filmed only a few days after her birthday. A large cake was brought out and the credit began to role over videos of the after-party as audio from the cast performing earlier that day played.</p><p>“That was cool,” Mary-Margaret said.</p><p>“Sure,” Morrighan replied, going to the kitchen to get a glass of water. She seemed semi disinterested and everything soon dissipated.</p>
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